WWE The Revolution Era
by bluethunder25
Summary: After a long legal battle, a new chairman of WWE is named and in his mind, he plans to usher a new era in WWE. A era with new superstars, revamped PPVs, deeper storylines, action, drama, adventure, comedy, suspense, thrills, chills, and blood-rising excitement.
1. Prologue

_On January 21st, 2008, WWE set to break new ground when it transitioned into high definition. With this change came more changes. The sets that had become so familiar with fans for years had all been replaced with a single HD stage that would be used for all their programs. As time went by, the audience for WWE was drastically changing. The hardcore, take-no-prisoners fans that had once dominated the Attitude Era were now replaced with a much younger demographic. With this change in audience, WWE decided to change its style of programming. More family friendly content was shown, the WWE fans became known as the WWE Universe, and the use of blood and violence had deteriorated. And with the introduction of social media and the innovative construct that was the internet, WWE made use of its power and spread itself across social media. Soon, WWE had taken its focus away from pro wrestling and more into advertising. This was not the same WWE as before and this raised the ire of many old school WWE fans. But it didn't stop there. The action packed content that had been previously present in WWE shows had all but been lost. It seemed as though the current superstars were unenthusiastic about their work. Many superstars who fans felt were deserving were held back while those who they felt overrated were taken to the top of WWE stardom. The WWE that many loyal fans had come to know was all but lost._

_But on September 24, 2012, one man decided that enough was enough. A man by the name of Ira Dwight Sutton Jr. Fed up with the corporate BS from Vince McMahon and wanting the focus of the company to be on pro wrestling again, Ira threw his hat into the mix and announced that he would go to war with Mr. McMahon for the position of Chairman of the WWE. The struggle was long and hard with both parties throwing all their legal punches and kick as hard as they could. The legal battle between Vince and Ira quickly became the highest buzz in media around the world. Everyone was talking about this struggle._

_-In our top story, Ira Sutton and Vince McMahon are vying for control of the WWE-_

_-Move over Hogan and André; take a seat Savage and Steamboat; Vince vs. Ira is the showdown to end all showdowns-_

_After a 3 month struggle, on December 8th, 2012, in an emotionally charged case in Stanford, Connecticut, Ira Sutton came from behind to win the case and became the new Chairman of WWE Inc. A handshake from Vince to his worthy opponent signified his loss to the better man and the official changing of the guard._

_Now with a global phenomenon in new hands, the landscape of the WWE was about to change. It was now time for a new beginning, it was now time for a new era._


	2. A New Era Begins

**Monday Night RAW 1/1/13**

* * *

All the WWE Superstars, Divas, referees, and staff had all gathered in one room in the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. They had been gathered in front of a long desk where on it sat cross-legged, the man who had challenged Vince McMahon head on, the man who for 3 months stood toe to toe with the most powerful man in sports entertainment, the man who after what could only be described as a 3 month war defeated Vince McMahon in a legal struggle, Ira Sutton.

For a moment, the room seemed quiet. The entire WWE was waiting with bated breath to hear the first words of the new Chairman of the WWE.

With a smile, Ira looked upon his new employees and began his speech. "Hello, my name is Ira Dwight Sutton Jr. or Ira Sutton if you like. As most you who kept track may know, a few weeks ago, I was the victory in a campaign against former Chairman of the WWE, Mr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Now I would be lying to you if I said that the it was an easy battle because let me assure you, it was not. But be that as it may, I am glad to have been given this opportunity and I am certainly not going to waste it. Now as you may or may not realize, the WWE's style of programming has not exactly been the most satisfying to most of our viewers. That was due in part to the business decisions of Vince McMahon, but in my hopefully long stint as the new Chairman of the Board, my intention is to present an innovative and reinvigorating style of programming, and provide our audience with a whole new experience as they have never experienced before. Now for most of you sitting in this room, I'm sure you've probably felt over the past number of years that you just haven't been getting your spot; you probably feel that you'll never get your spot; well for those of you here who believe, I can assure you with me in charge that you will never have to worry about that again. There will be many opportunities that will be presented to those who are truly and rightfully deserving of them. You see, I don't wanna be one of those big bosses that promises the moon and just gives out tiny little pebbles, no, I'm not gonna be that kind of boss. My mission as the new Chairman of this company quite simply is to give the WWE FANS, yes, FANS, not "Universe," FANS, exactly what they want. You see, we hear in World Wrestling Entertainment understand that it is our duty to of course, entertain, but first and foremost, we are wrestlers! And quite frankly, this company has been lacking that lately, but no more. The fans of World Wrestling Entertainment have had their intelligence insulted one too many times and we here in the WWE must overall strive to entertain our fans by means of putting wrestling matches of the highest caliber and performing to the limits of our abilities and beyond. When it comes to high adrenaline, action-packed fighting, we often think of video games like Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Soul Caliber, Marvel vs. Capcom and Super Smash Bros., TV shows like Power Rangers, animes like Dragonball Z, and cartoons such as Transformers, and Thundercats. And here in the WWE, will work our hardest to duplicate the extraordinary actions that we see on those shows. The time of overrated superstars getting the spotlight and talented stars getting the shaft is done. It's time to start a new age, an age of defying the system, an age going into the ring and giving everything you've got and more to what you love to do. If you don't wanna be here, there's the door; but if you want to join me in this new frontier, then ball your hand into a fist and hold it high up in the air."

The Superstars, Divas, and staff looked at each other wearily. They weren't completely sure what to do. They didn't know anything about this Ira Sutton character and quite honestly, they didn't know if they could trust him. But seeing as how he managed to beat THE Vince McMahon, they figured going his way was probably the best route. So reluctantly, the all raised their fists in the air, much to Ira's delight.

With a smile, Ira continued. "Guys...the time is now...the revolution...has begun..."

* * *

**Monday Night RAW music plays**

**Opening pyro**

* * *

A ruckus crown in Texas was in uproar for the first RAW of the new year. Within the crowd were sings that read things like...

"Ira Layed the Smackdown on Vince"

"Vince Had No Chance in Hell"

Vince Know Your Role and Sell Your Stock"

On commentary were Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and JBL.

"A new era had dawned in World Wrestling Entertainment! Hello everyone and welcome to the first RAW of 2013! Alongside Hall of Famer, Jerry "The King" Lawler and JBL, I'm Michael Cole and guys, with a new pair of hands running the ship that is the WWE, one can only guess where those hands will take us!" said Cole.

Just then, Ira Sutton's music hit and Ira came out on stage to a big ovation. Ira was a short, black man, about 5'9, with short black hair.

"And ladies and gentlemen, there he is! The man who last December in Greenwich, Connecticut, won a case against then Chairman, Vince McMahon, to become the new man in charge of the WWE!" said Cole.

"Guys, I've known Vince McMahon for a long, long time! I know him to be one of the most ruthless and cunning individuals on the face of God's green earth! If this kid was somehow able to swipe the company right out from under him, you gotta believe there is more to this kid than meets the eye!" said JBL.

"I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would actually live to sit here with you guys and say that we have a new Chairman in the WWE and it's not a McMahon!" said King.

After he entered the ring and his music stopped playing, Ira was met with a chant from the WWE fans.

"Thank you, Ira, *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*"

"Thank you, Ira, *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*"

"Thank you, Ira, *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*"

"Thank you, Ira, *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*"

"Thank you, Ira, *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*"

"Thank you, Ira, *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*"

"Wow!" exclaimed Cole.

"I can't believe this!" exclaimed King.

"They're actually happy that Vince is gone!" sad JBL.

Ira took a microphone from Justin Roberts and a moment to soak in the electricity around him. This was it, it was all his. Everything in the WWE from the doorknobs down belonged to him to do with however he pleased now.

"WELCOME EVERYONE TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW!" Ira shouted before he punched his fist up in the air, causing red fire with blow out of the four ring corners.

The crowd erupted.

"And don't adjust your TV sets, don't change the color, don't change the sharpness, the brightness, the contrast, or the tint; this is not an illusion, this is not a mirage, this is a new beginning, this is a new frontier, the is the WWE for a whole new generation, this is a new revolution of sports entertainment! And I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to all of you loyal fans out there who have been forced to endure the trivial, mind-numbing, poor excuse for entertainment that Vince McMahon had made you watch even after you constantly begged him to stop! Well ladies and gentlemen, your prayers have finally been answered! Because the time is here, the time is now, the revolution has been televised and now the ammunition is packed, the guns are loaded and the battlefield is set!" Ira said.

He then exited the ring and took out a small silver bazooka from underneath before reentering.

"I-is that a bazooka?" Cole asked.

"To quote the famous words from Owen Hart, enough is enough and it's time for a change!" Ira said.

On the titantron screen was a square with "TV-PG" on it. Ira pointed the bazooka at the screen and fired a shot causing the graphic to change from "TV-PG" to "TV-14" which caused the crowd to explode and chant in unison:

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, the revolution has begun," said Ira. "Now let's get onto business, shall we? At this time, I would like to bring out RAW and Smackdown General managers, Vickie Guerrero and Brad Maddox. If you please."

Vickie and Brad came onto the stage and to the ring. Ira approached them.

"Vickie, Brad, let me first start off by saying that I am very appreciative of everything that you two have done as GMs of RAW and Smackdown, but from now on, I'm gonna be the one making the decisions. So with that being said, your services as GMs are no longer required," Ira said to Brad and Vickie's shock. "Now, now, you're not fired, I instead have something else for you two. First, you Brad. As of this moment, you are now back on the active roster as a wrestler. Oh and uh...your first match back is...tonight...when you face...Kofi Kingston."

The crown cheered.

"Now I would suggest you go back and get ready, cowboy," Ira said.

Brad nervously went up the stage to the backstage area.

Ira then turned to Vickie. "Now, Vickie, Vickie, Vickie, what to do with you. Well, you've proven to be one of the most prolific, outspoken, and controversial general managers in WWE history and a pretty good manager as well, so...wait, I've got it. Vickie Guerrero, as of this moment, right now, you are officially, the newest member of the Monday Night RAW...announce team!" he proclaimed.

"What?!" JBL, Cole, and King exclaimed.

"Which brings me to our current announcers, two in particular...at this time I would like to call Michael Cole and JBL to the ring, please. Meanwhile, Vickie, you take a seat with Jerry over there, OK," Ira said.

As Vickie walked over to the announce table, Michael Cole and JBL came into the ring.

Ira approached the two. "Now, I would like personally thank the two of you for your tremendous work as announcers here on RAW, but as of this moment, your services as announcers on RAW are no longer required. You two will now be full time Smackdown announcers. And as a reward for of your hard work, I'm giving the two of you the day off," he said.

Ira gave JBL and Cole a handshake before the two left.

"Now with that being said, we have Jerry and Vickie at the announcer's table, but I don't quite think two is enough. We need one more announcer, but who? Who? I know! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the second new member of the Monday Night RAW announce team, good ole JR, Jim Ross!" Ira proclaimed.

JR's theme hit and he came out to a huge ovation as he made his way towards the announce table.

"Oh my god! I can't believe this!" King said.

"You can't believe it, what about me?! I just got relieved of my job and now I'm an announcer!?" said Vickie.

"Oh, shut up, Vickie, you think I'm happy about it?! The only good thing is that good ole JR is back!" Jerry exclaimed.

JR arrived at the announce table and gave Jerry a handshake, however, Vickie did not want one from JR.

"So, now that that's been taken care of, onto the second piece of business. In a few weeks is an event known as the Royal Rumble. A one-of-a-kind event in which 30 superstar will compete in an over-the-top-rope battle royal with the winner receiving a World Title shot at WrestleMania. Well, I've decided that to the other 29 who don't win, I'm gonna give them a kind of constellation prize. For the first time ever at WrestleMania, both the WWE and World Titles will be defended in Fatal Four Way matches. On the day after the Rumble, we will begin the first of a series of 4-men elimination tournaments to determine the other five slots in the Fatal Four Way matches at WrestleMania. So to all of you entering the Royal Rumble, remember this, even if you don't win, there's still a chance you'll go on to WrestleMania. " Ira said.

"Wow! JR, Vickie, did you hear that?!" said Jerry.

"Indeed, quite the constellation prized for the other 29 runners up in the Rumble," said JR.

"Even though I don't agree with him taking my old job away from me, I have to say that's a pretty groundbreaking decision," said Vickie.

Ira continued. "Also, over the past number of weeks, I've taken the liberty of signing a plethora of new superstars that look forward to shaking things up here in World Wrestling Entertainment. Over the next number of weeks you will gradually see them on RAW and Smackdown. And for the last piece of business...well...I'll get to that later tonight," Ira said before he exited the ring.

"I wonder what that last piece of business could be," said King.

"You're guess is as good as mine, King, but based on what we've seen as far, it must be something big," said JR.

"JR, it is so good to have you back," said King.

"Real good to be back, King," said JR.


	3. The Irish Warrior Princess

The first match of RAW was about to begin. Justin Roberts began to make the announcement.

"The following divas contest set-" Justin Roberts said before his mic was turned off.

Just then, Ira came onto the stage. "Oh uh...Justin, I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid your duties as an announcer are also no longer required," he said to Justin's shock. "Allow me to introduce your replacement."

Ira motioned his hand to the stage entrance when suddenly, Lillian Garcia's music hit and she came out to a nice applause.

"Justin, if you would please," Ira said, motioning for Justin to get out of the ring, which he did.

Once Justin and Ira exited, the bell rung for Lillian to began announcing. "The following Diva's contest is set for one-fall," she said.

Alicia Fox's music hit and she came out to slight boos.

"Introducing first, from Ponta Vedra Beach, Florida, Alicia Fox!" said Lillian.

"Well for those of you who are just joining us, ladies and gentlemen, myself and Miss Vickie Guerrero have been named as new members to the RAW announce team alongside Jerry Lawler by new Chairman, Ira Sutton," said JR.

"And not only that, but for the first ti-"Jerry said before he was cut off by Vickie.

"Excuse me, Jerry, I got this one. For the first time ever, there will be two World Title Fatal Four Way matches at WrestleMania and there will be a series of four man tournaments to decide the five slots," said Vickie.

"Indeed that is a blockbuster and we were told during the commercial break that Miss Alicia Fox will be competing tonight against one of the new superstars that Ira had signed," said JR.

"Really?! I wonder who it is?!" Jerry exclaimed.

"We're about to find out," said JR.

The Irish Patriot music from WWE 13 played, then the lights in the arena turned dark green as if to resemble a forest. Then from out of the entrance came Alicia's opponent. She was a woman with pale white skin, a large nose, and dark red curly hair. She wore a green crop top with on strap on her left shoulder with black Celtic markings on it that was tattered at the bottom, a green skirt with black Celtic markings that was tattered at the bottom, green armbands with black Celtic markings, a round silver Celtic pendant around her neck, and light green boots.

"And her opponent, from County Meath, Ireland, Mirth!" Lillian announced.

"Wow!, JR, would you get a look at her!" said King.

"Certainly one of the most intriguing looking divas making her debut in the WWE," said JR.

"She reminds me of someone else from Ireland, but I can't quite put my finger on it," said Vickie.

After Mirth entered the ring, she pointed her finger up in the air and walked towards the bottom ropes and did the same thing on the opposite side. She then took a microphone.

"Dia duit, tá mo ainm suairceas agus rugadh mé i gcaisleán. My name is Mirth and I am the Irish Warrior Princess. I'm called that because I was literally born in a castle. I've come here to the WWE for one purpose and one purpose only and that is shine my mighty light upon all who oppose me. The fighting spirit of the Irish burns within my soul and no woman, man and any other living thing will keep me from planting the green, white and orange colors of victory over my head," said Mirth before she got rid of the microphone and took off her pendant.

The bell rang and the match began.

"And we are now ready to begin this contest with Alicia Fox squaring off against Mirth who hails from County Meath, Ireland," said JR.

The match started with Alicia and Mirth in a lockup. Alicia got Mirth in a side headlock, but then Mirth pushed her against the ropes and hit her with a shoulder block. Alicia quickly got up and the two got in another lockup. Alicia once again got Mirth in a side headlock and Mirth pushed against the ropes against and got her with a single leg takedown. Alicia went for another lockup, but faked Mirth out and hit her with a gut kick, followed by a number of elbows to the face. She then Irish Whipped Mirth off the rope, but Mirth countered and whipped her off the ropes, then hit her with an armdrag takedown. Alicia quickly got up and Mirth hit her with a dropkick. Alicia got up again and Mirth hit her with a kick to the gut and Irish Whipped her into the upper left turnbuckle. Mirth charged in, but Alicia hit her with a boot, then retaliated with a number of kicks to the abdomen. She then ran off the rope and hit her with a side heel kick. She went for the cover and got a 2 count.

"Mirth calls herself the Irish Warrior Princess," said JR.

"Yeah, apparently because she was born in a castle, is that what she said?" asked King.

"I believe so," JR answered.

"I know one thing, the girl has no fashion sense! I mean where did she get those clothes? The at the Irish bargain basement bin? Ahahahahahahahahahaha!" said Vickie.

"Hey Vickie, you got to tell me who does your jokes...so I won't run into him by accident!" said King.

Alicia put Mirth in a headlock for about a minute until Mirth got up and hit her a number of elbows to her gut, but when she went to run off the ropes, Alicia grabbed her by the hair and pulled her down. As Mirth sat up, Alicia kicked her in the back and then in the face before going for a cover. She got a 2 count. Alicia picked up Mirth her retaliated by a number of punches to the gut, but the Alicia hit her with a knee to the gut and then a club to the back. Mirth was on one knee. Alicia picked her up again and brought her to the upper right turnbuckle and banged her head on it, then turned her around and hit her with a number of side kicks to the gut.

"Man!" said King.

"Alicia Fox has some of the most vicious kicks in the WWE, rivaled second only to Tajiri," said JR.

Alicia took Mirth's neck and choked it on the rope with her knee before going for another cover. She got a 2 count. Alicia then struck with a flurry of angry stomps followed by a standing knee drop and another cover. She got another 2 count. Alicia picked Mirth up a hit her with a boot to the gut, sending her to the lower left turnbuckle. She then went for another side kick, but Mirth caught it and fought back with a number of punches to the face. Alicia went for a clothesline, but Mirth ducked, ran off the ropes and hit her with a clothesline of her own.

"And Mirth with a vicious clothesline!" said JR.

Both competitors were down as the ref began the 10 count. Both managed to get up get up at the count of 8. Alicia went for a punch, but Mirth blocked it and hit her own punch, followed by two more. She then Irish Whipped her off the ropes, but Alicia countered and Irish Whipped her off the ropes and went for another clothesline, but Mirth ducked it, ran off the ropes, and hit her with a running hurricanrana. Mirth then ran off the ropes again and hit her with a flying shoulder tackle knocking her flat on the floor. With Alicia down, Mirth hit her with a standing moonsault and went for the pin. She got a 2 count. Mirth grabbed Alicia's legs and dragged her in front of the lower right turnbuckle and then springboarded her off of it, then hit from behind with a red, white, and blue powerbomb into a pin. She got a 2 count. Mirth ran off the ropes again and went for a big splash, but Alicia countered it with two knees to the gut. She then rolled Mirth into a schoolgirl pin. She got a 2 count. Mirth turned on her side and Alicia her with a hard kick to the back. Alicia then picked Mirth up, but then Mirth released herself from her grip and then bit her on the forehead.

"Oh! Look at this!" said King.

"She's biting Alicia Fox on the forehead!" said JR.

"That's illegal, ref! Disqualify her!" shouted Vickie.

Mirth then hit Alicia with a backwards running neckbreaker. With Alicia down, Mirth grabbed one arm and one leg of hers and dragged her near the center of the ring. She then went to the lower left turnbuckle, climbed up, and hit her with a falling headbutt and went for the cover and got the win.

"Here is your winner, Mirth!" announced Lillian.

"An impressive victory for the fair skinned maiden from the rolling green hills," said JR.

"Vickie, even you gotta admit, this Mirth has got some talent," said King.

"Talent?! Talent for what?! Talent for biting people?! You call that talent?! I call it cheating! That wasn't impressive!" said Vickie.

"Well in any event, Mirth with a win over Alicia Fox and I can only imagine what other new superstars Ira has in store for us," said JR.

* * *

In his office, Ira was talking with the Primetime Players.

"Now listen, personally, I think you two have been on a major role and I think you have what it takes to become the next World Tag Team Champions, but it's not that you have to show it to me, you have to show it to the S.H.I.E.L.D, so here's what gonna happen, tonight, you two will face Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns of the S.H.I.E.L.D and if you can beat them, then you will get your Tag Team Title shot against them at the Royal Rumble," said Ira.

The Primetime Players were elated about this news and exited Ira's office to prepare themselves.

Just then, Ira's cellphone went off and he answered.

"Hello?" Ira answered. "Oh hi honey...now honey...honey you know we've talked about this...yes, yes, I know, but I'm doing this...because this is personal...very personal...don't worry about me, I'll be fine, I gotta take care of this business and I'm gonna do it tonight...I'll be OK, don't worry about it...I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself...thank you, love you, bye."

After hanging up, Ira sat down at his desk with a focused look on his face as if he was deep in thought about something. Whatever this piece of business was, it was obviously something that had people worried.


	4. DANGER DANGER DANGER!

The Real Americans entrance music played and the team along with Zeb Colter came out to boos.

"The following contest is set for one-fall. Making their way to the ring, being accompanied by Zeb Colter, at a combined weight of 507 pounds, Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro, The Real Americans!" Lillian announced.

Zeb, with microphone in hand, spoke to the fans. "My fellow Americans, they say that everything is bigger in Texas, well that is indeed true, but it's all for the wrong reasons. What's bigger in Texas is the amount of illegal immigrants that have been allowed to come into this state from sneaking across the south of the border. You see, Texas likes to think of itself as a true American state, but the fact is this state finds itself in a rut especially with incompetent mayors like Lee Brown, Bill White, and especially Annise Parker! This state is as American as Chinese food and that stupid Japanese dance, whatever they call it! Even your flag is only a allow shell copy of the American flag! So to all the REAL Americans, I want you all to stand up, hold your hands over your chests, and say with me in unison, "We the People!" Zeb said.

"Well I personally like Chinese food," said JR.

"Yeah, you look like you've had some, JR," said Vickie.

"Oh, I wouldn't talk about eating if I were you, Vickie," said King.

Next, the Usos came out and performed the Siva tau, then their music played.

"And their opponents, at a combined weight of 479 pounds, Jimmy and Jey, the Usos!" Lillian announced.

"The Usos set for tag team action against the Real Americans here tonight and fellas, I still wonder what the important piece of business is that Ira Sutton is talking about?" JR said.

"Me too, but from what gather from that phone conversation, it just seemed like whoever was talking to him seemed very concerned," said King.

The bell rang and the match began.

Cesaro and Jimmy started the match with a lockup. Cesaro hit Jimmy with a knee to the gut followed by an elbow to face before Irish Whipping him off the ropes. Cesaro went for a clothesline, but Jimmy ducked, ran off the roped and hit him with a shoulder tackle, then ran off the ropes again. Cesaro ducked and went for an armdrag takedown, but Jimmy countered into one of his own. After Cesaro got up, Jimmy hit him with a scoop slam before tagging in Jey. Jimmy and Jey Irish Whipped Cesaro off the ropes and hit him with a double back body drop. Jimmy went to his team's corner. Jey picked Cesaro up and hit him in the back of the head with a couple of elbows followed by a couple of knees to the head. He then Irish Whipped him to the upper right turnbuckle and went in for the charge, but Cesaro countered with a kick to the face followed by a European uppercut. Cesaro picked Jey up and slammed him head on the lower left turnbuckle, then hit him with a number of punches to the gut. He went for a punch to the face, but Jey blocked it, grabbed Cesaro, and brought him to the turnbuckle and wailed on him with a series of punches. Jey then dragged Cesaro to the center of the ring and hit him with a scoop slam, then ran off the ropes and hit him with a leg drop. Jey went for the cover and got a 2 count. Jey picked up Cesaro, kicked him in the gut and went for a powerbomb, but Cesaro countered and hit him with another European uppercut. He then grabbed one of his arms and dragged him over to his team's corner and tagged in Swagger.

"Still to come, ladies and gentlemen, the Primetime Players will go up against the S.H.I.E.L.D and if they manage to win, they will get a shot at the Tag Titles at the Rumble," said JR.

"And JR, I think the Primetime Players have a good shot at winning tonight. They have been on a big role," said Vickie.

"So do I, but the Primetime Players cannot overlook the S.H.I.E.L.D, many have done that in the past and have fallen because of it," said King.

Swagger Irish Whipped Jey off the ropes and hit him with a knee to the gut and then went for the cover. He got a 2 count. As Jey got up, Swagger went from behind and took him down to the mat and then transitioned into a front headlock. Swager had Jey in the hold for a minute and a half before Jey got to his feet and hit Swagger with a few punches to the gut, breaking out of the hold. Jey then ran off the ropes and went for a clothesline, but Swagger took him down with a leg drag takedown. Swagger then grabbed Jey by the leg and dragged him to his team's corner and tagged in Cesaro who came in and hit him with an elbow to the back of the head. Cesaro went for the cover and got a 2 count. He then applied an arm trap camel clutch to Jey. He had him in the hold for about a minute before Jimmy came in and broke the hold. Cesaro tagged in Swagger and the two hit Jey with a double suplex. Swagger went for the cover and got a 2 count.

"You know, JR, Vickie, I can't get it out of my mind, what exactly is this piece of business that Ira is talking about? It sounded like something serious," said King.

"I really have no idea, but Ira has already made some impact tonight, one can only guess what more he will have in store for us," said JR.

"Yeah, he's made some impact alright! Because of him, I'm now stuck here with you two!" said Vickie.

"Well, we share your displeasure, Vickie," said King.

Jey fought back with a number of punches to Swagger and then Irish Whipped him into the lower left turnbuckle. He went in for the charge, but Jey caught him with a belly to back suplex. Both men were down and the referee began the 10 count. Both men tagged in their partners. Jimmy hit Cesaro with a number of clotheslines. Cesaro went for one of his own, but Jimmy ducked and hit him with a side kick to the gut. He then ran off the ropes and hit him with a flying forearm. He then came from behind and hit him with a back suplex before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Jimmy went for an Irish Whip, but Cesaro countered with one of his own and went for a clothesline, but Jimmy dodged it and went behind him again with a backbreaker. He then tagged in Jey and the two Irish Whipped Cesaro off the ropes and got him with a double armdrag takedown and then dropped both their fists down on his neck. Jey went for the cover, but Swagger broke it up. Jimmy rushed and charged Swagger out of the ring and then jumped over the ropes and hit him with a flying crossbody. Jey and Cesaro got up and Jey went for a kick to the gut, but Cesaro caught it and then kicked Jey in the gut and went for the Nutralizer, but Jey countered it into a back body drop. When Cesaro got up, Jey hit him with a kick to the face. Jey went for the cover, he got a 2 count. Jey picked up Cesaro and Irish Whipped him into the upper right turnbuckle and went in for the charge, but Cesaro got out of the way, ran off the ropes, and hit him with a clothesline before going for the cover. Jimmy broke the count with a running dropkick to Cesaro. From behind, Swagger went for a red, white, and blue thunder bomb on Jimmy, but he countered it, pushed Swagger into the upper left turnbuckle and charged at him with a backwards thump. He then ran off the ropes and went for a clothesline, but Swagger caught him and hit him with a belly to belly suplex. As Swagger turned around, Jey came off the lower right turnbuckle and hit him with a missile dropkick. Cesaro then came from behind and hit Jey with a backbreaker.

"What a tag team contest this has been!" said JR.

"I agree, both of these teams are out to prove something," said Vickie.

"Wait a minute! What's this?!" JR exclaimed.

From out of the crowd came two men.

They were both black men. One was a lean man with short black hair who wore white armbands, long black wrestling tights with yellow barricade tape designed all over it, and black wrestling boots. The other was a large bald man who wore black overalls with a yellow diamond shaped sign with the word, 'danger' on it in the center, long black wrestling tights, and black wrestling boots.

The lean man clotheslined Zeb and took out a traffic sign with a traffic light designed on it and went into the ring and hit Swagger on the head with it. The large man dragged Cesaro out of the ring and rammed him into the steel steps. The lean man went outside of the ring and took out a table while the large man took out a ladder and the two put the items in the ring. The lean man picked up Jimmy and put him at the lower left turnbuckle, then the large man took Jey and put him in the same place then back up and charged at the two with full force.

"Who are these guys?!" asked King.

"I have no idea! Are these some of the guys that Ira said that he had signed?!" JR exclaimed.

"Well whoever they are, they've already done a number on the Real Americans and now they're working on the Usos!" said Vickie.

The lean man set the ladder up in front up the upper right turnbuckle, then the large man set up the table in front of the ladder, then the lean man went outside the ring again and took two chairs out from underneath and brought them in the ring. The large man then went to the ladder and climbed up. The lean man took Jey up on top of the table and placed Jey on the large man's shoulders. He then took Jimmy and placed him on the table and then put the two chairs over him, before giving the large guy the signal which made him powerbomb Jey onto Jimmy through the table with the two chairs on him.

"Oh my god! I think they just broke the Usos in half!" exclaimed JR.

The lean man put his fists up in the air while the large man beat his chest like an ape.

"Well if you can name a better way to make an immediate impact, please tell me because that sure as hell was an impact!" said King.

* * *

Backstage, Ira was walking through the hallway carrying a small black bag.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, there is our new CEO and it looks like he's carrying something, but what could it be?" asked JR.

"It looks like he's headed to the ring," said Vickie.

"Are we gonna find out what it is?!" asked King.

"I think so and I think we're gonna find out next!" exclaimed JR.


	5. Return of an Old Championship

_Promo vignette_

_A gentle snowfall appears._

_Fade to black._

_Fade into a mound of snow._

_A woman's hand take a handful of the snow and caresses it._

_The woman has short white hair, blue lipstick, and is wearing a blue legless and sleeveless outfit with a large white snowflake designed in the center and blue elf shoes._

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening, in the lane, snow is glistening, a beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland. Winter...when that grey sky appears and you feel the chilling air, you know the time has come for that first snowflake to fall. The moment you touch that first bit of snow, it feels oh so cold and yet...at the same time...it feels oh so good. The mystery of the falling snow entices the curious mind. The cold ice that reflects you, that reflects your greatest desires and your darkest fears. The joy of a little kid frolicking through the white majesty that covers the earth, the enthusiasm on his face as he holds out his tongue and he tastes that first snowflake. The time is approaching...winter is coming and when the first snowflake falls and the cold air rushes through the atmosphere, I will be there to embrace it and soon...very soon, the WWE will feel the cold, chilling grip of my joy, my enthusiasm, my salvation. Be prepared, be prepared for me...Glacia," the woman said.

_Glacia blows the snow into the camera._

_Fade to black._

* * *

"OK, what was that all about?" asked King.

"I don't know, but ladies and gentlemen, earlier, we had the Usos in a tag team match with the Real Americans, a great match that was going on when suddenly, from out of nowhere, there were attacked by two guys and boy, were they ever impressive!" said JR.

"Well first this one guy attacked Zeb Colter and then Swagger and Cesaro, but then they preceded to absolutely destroy Jimmy and Jey of the Usos!" said Vickie.

"JR, you asked if these guys were some of the new superstars that Ira signed. Well, if they are then the tag team division is in big trouble!" said King.

Ira's music played and he came out to another ovation.

"And we are once again being joined by the new Chairman, Mr. Ira Sutton," said JR.

"And what is that he's carrying, JR?" asked King.

"I really don't know, King, your guess is as good as mine," said JR.

"Well I know it's a lot better than Vickie's, which is nothing," said King.

"Oh, very funny, King," said Vickie.

"Thank you," said King.

"I was being sarcastic, you idiot!" yelled Vickie.

With microphone in hand, Ira entered the ring.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as I said before, the revolution has begun and now it is time to further the revolution! You see, about six years, a certain someone and I'm not saying who, decided to abolish a certain championship from the WWE. Well tonight, I am very pleased to say that I have brought that very championship back," Ira said.

Ira took the black bag and pulled the item from out of it, he held it like a belt and made sure that no one in the audience saw the from until he raised it up in the air above his head and showed it for all of them to see.

The audience erupted when they saw what Ira held up in the air. It was none other than the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

"Recognize this?!" Ira said.

The crowd chanted:

"Cruiserweight!"

"Cruiserweight!"

"Cruiserweight!"

"Cruiserweight!"

"Cruiserweight!"

"Cruiserweight!"

"Cruiserweight!"

"Cruiserweight!"

"Oh my gosh, JR, its..." King said.

"It's the Cruiserweight Championship!" exclaimed JR.

"What?! I got rid of that thing!" said Vickie.

Ira continued. "And at the Royal Rumble, we will see the crowning of a new Cruiserweight Champion! That person will be the man who wins an 8-man tournament! And for this tournament, not only will you see WWE Superstars, but I've also taken the liberty of signing new star from New Japan Pro Wrestling, Dragon Gate, and CMLL, so up yours, Dixie Carter and TNA! What do you think of that!" Ira looked into the camera and gave the middle finger. "Now, we will begin the first match of the tournament tonight and it will start...now."

Ira exited the ring and placed the Cruiserweight title on a podium next to the announce table before leaving through the right side of the stage, pointing out to the audience as he left.

Tyson Kidd's music hit and he came out to the ring.

"Well this is a surprise!" said JR.

"The following contest scheduled for one fall is the first match is the 8 man tournament to determine the new Cruiserweight Champion! Introducing first, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, weighing in at 195 pounds, Tyson Kidd!" Lillian announced.

"We haven't seen Tyson Kidd in months!" said King.

"And what a return it would be for Tyson Kidd if he can win this match tonight and advance to the next round of the tournament!" said Vickie.

Masato Yoshino's music played and he came out.

"And his opponent, from Higashiōsaka, Osaka, Japan, weighing in at 160 pounds, Masato Yoshino!" Lillian announced.

"I am looking forward to this debut. I have heard great things about this young man," said JR.

The bell rang and the match began.

The two began in a lockup.

"This young man, Masato Yoshino is from the Japanese-based Dragon Gate promotion and is said to be one of the fastest wrestlers in the world," said JR.

Yoshino got Tyson in a headlock, but Tyson turned it into an arm wrench. Yoshino rolled over and got Tyson in an arm wrench himself. Tyson also rolled over and arm wrenched Yoshino. Yoshino kicked Tyson in the gut and Irish Whipped him off the ropes, but Tyson countered with his own Irish Whip. Yoshino ran off the ropes and Tyson ducked. Yoshino jumped over him, ran off the ropes, and Tyson pushed him forward off the ropes and went for a back elbow, but Yoshino ducked and ran off the ropes again. Tyson went for a clothesline, but Yoshino again ducked and ran off the ropes and hit him with a running front dropkick.

"Woah! You weren't kidding about that speed! I think we better not blink whenever this guy has a match, we might miss something!" said King.

Yoshino picked up Tyson and Irish Whipped him off the ropes, but Tyson countered and Irish Whipped him and went for a clothesline, but Yoshino ducked and kicked him in the gut, then ran off the ropes, but Tyson caught him with a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Tyson picked up Yoshino and hit him with a suplex and went for the cover again. He got a 2 count. Tyson picked up Yoshino again, but Yoshino released himself from Tyson's grip and hit him with a number of chops to the chest and ran off the ropes, but Tyson caught him with a spinning side kick to the gut. With Yoshino groggy, Tyson hit him with a scoop slam, then ran off the ropes and hit him with a leg drop before going for the cover again. He got a 2 count. Tyson picked up Yoshino and slammed his head on the lower left turnbuckle. He then backed up and went in for the charge, but Yoshino jumped over him and ran off the ropes. Tyson went for another clothesline, but Yoshino ducked, ran off the ropes, and got him with a spinning headscissors takedown twisted into an octopus stretch. Yoshino had him in the hold for a while, but Tyson countered it by flipping him over and then hitting him with a number of kicked before Irish Whipping him off the ropes and hitting him with a clothesline. He went for a cover and got a 2 count. Tyson picked Yoshino and went for a powerbomb, but Yoshino countered it into a roll up pin and got a 2 count. As Tyson got up, Yoshino hit him with a number of chops, ran off the ropes, and hit him with a spinning headscissors takedown into a one arm DDT before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Yoshino rolled Tyson up backward and went for a back suplex, but Tyson countered by landing on his feet and went for one of his own, Yoshino countered that by landing on his feet as well, then hit him with a dropkick on the back that sent him outside the ring. As Tyson got to his feet, Yoshino ran off the ropes and hit him with a dive through the ropes.

"What back and forth action!" said Vickie.

"This is the first match of the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament where the finals, we have just been told, will take place at the Royal Rumble in 3 weeks," said JR.

"Well this is only the first match! I can't wait to see the rest!" said King.

Yoshino picked up Tyson and dragged him back in the ring. He then climbed up the lower right turnbuckle and when Tyson got up on his feet, he hit him with a missile dropkick and went for the cover. He got a 2 count. Yoshino picked up Tyson and pushed him into the lower right turnbuckle. He went for a running dropkick, but Tyson got out of the way. Using the opportunity, he grabbed Yoshino by the head and went off the lower right turnbuckle and hit him with a tornado DDT before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Tyson picked up Yoshino and went for a brainbuster, but Yoshino countered by landing on his feet. Tyson went for a clothesline, but Yoshino rolled forward, dodging it, then ran off the ropes and hit him with a spinning sitout sleeper slam before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Yoshino picked him up, but Tyson got out and grabbed him from the back. However, Yoshino countered and got him in a back grip and pushed him into the ropes, going for a roll up pin, but Tyson got out of it. Yoshino went in for the charge, but Tyson caught him with a kick to the gut. He then jumped over Yoshino and got him into a roll up pin which he tried to turn into a sharpshooter, but Yoshino countered it into a roll up pin. He got a 2 count. Tyson quickly got up, kicked Yoshino in the gut, and hit him with a gutbuster. With Yoshino on his back, Tyson went outside on the apron and springboarded off the ropes and hit him with an elbow before going for the pin. He got a 2 count.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are only seeing the first match of this tournament and it is one of the greatest wrestling matches I've ever seen!" exclaimed JR.

Tyson picked up Yoshino and hit him with a number of punches and went for a kick, but Yoshino caught it, only to be met with an enziguri to the head. With him groggy, Tyson hit Yoshino with a sitout powerbomb into a pin. He got a 2 count.

"Tyson must now be thinking, 'what the hell do I have to do to put this guy away?!'" said King.

Tyson picked up Yoshino and dragged him to the upper left turnbuckle. He placed him on the top and went for a superplex, but Yoshino countered out of it and got him with a chop to the back. He then went outside on the apron and hit him with a spinning sitout sleeper slam from the top rope before going for the cover. He got a 2 count.

"Now Yoshino must be thinking, 'what in the hell do I have to do?!'" said JR.

The referee started the 10 count. The two got to their feet when he got to 7. With quick thinking, Tyson grabbed Yoshino by the legs and got him in the sharpshooter. Yoshino went for the ropes, but Tyson pulled him back.

The crowd chanted back and forth:

"Let's go Tyson! Let's go Shino!"

"Let's go Tyson! Let's go Shino!"

"Let's go Tyson! Let's go Shino!"

"Let's go Tyson! Let's go Shino!"

"Let's go Tyson! Let's go Shino!"

"Let's go Tyson! Let's go Shino!"

The pain was excruciating on Yoshino but he slowly made his way to the ropes and grabbed them.

"Who will win this first round in the Cruiserweight Tournament?!" said JR.

Tyson picked up Yoshino and hit him with a number of side kicks before Irish Whipping him off the ropes. He went for a superkick, but Yoshino ducked and hit him with a swinging leg hook fireman's carry slam. With Tyson down, Yoshino got him in a modified straight jacket triangle choke. He tried his best to get out, but eventually, Tyson submitted to give Yoshino the win.

"Here is your winner, Masato Yoshino!" Lillian announced.

"What an awesome one on one contest between two great cruiserweights! Yoshino advances, but that young man, Tyson Kidd, has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of!" JR said.

"I'm exhausted just looking at that!" said King.

"Well I'm exhausted just calling that!" said Vickie.

"And with that, Masato Yoshino advances in the first round of the Cruiserweight Tournament. He will take on the winner of the second match which will take place this Friday night on Smackdown," said JR.

* * *

In his wrestling gear, Brad Maddox walked down the hallway, making his way into the arena.

"Well folks, from out of the General Manger's office and into the ring, new Chairman, Ira Sutton and has ordered Brad Maddox back into the ring and his first opponent, Kofi Kingston! That match is next!" JR said.


	6. The Brad Maddox Experience

In his office, Ira Sutton looked to the camera to address the WWE fans.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, in four weeks time is the Royal Rumble. An event that will feature the Royal Rumble match itself where 30 superstars will compete in an over-the-top rope battle royal to determine who will go on to WrestleMania to compete for the World Title. As I mentioned earlier tonight, on the day after the Rumble, the first of a series of four man tournaments to determine the spots in the two Fatal Four way world title matches at WrestleMania. However, it is also my pleasure to announce that in addition to the Royal Rumble match itself, there will also be another main event in which the WWE Champion, John Cena, will defend his WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan. Thank you," said Ira.

* * *

"Wow! What a main event for the Royal Rumble!" said JR.

Kofi Kingston's music played and he came out.

"The following contest is set for one fall! Making his way to the ring, from Ghana, West Africa, weighing in at 212 pounds, Kofi Kingston!" Lillian announced.

"Well now, ladies and gentlemen, this should be an interesting one-on-one contest," said JR.

Brad Maddox's music played and he came out.

"And his opponent, from Tega Cay, South Carolina, weighing in at 200 pounds, Brad Maddox!" Lillian announced.

"And ladies and gentlemen, if you are just joining us, earlier tonight, new Chairman of the WWE, Ira Sutton relieved Brad Maddox of his General Manager duties, along with the lady sitting right next to us," said JR.

"What lady?" said King.

"Shut up, Jerry!" said Vickie.

"And after that, Ira ordered Mr. Maddox to compete here tonight!" said JR.

The bell rang and the match began.

Brad and Kofi started in a lockup. Brad got Kofi in a headlock, then Kofi pushed him off the ropes. Brad got him with a shoulder block, then ran off the ropes. Kofi got up and jumped over Brad, then a second time, then hit him with a dropkick, then another. After Brad got up, Kofi Irish Whipped him off the ropes and went for a clothesline, but Maddox ducked and grabbed him from behind and took him do before transitioning into a headlock. After a while in the hold, Kofi hit Maddox with a series of punches to the abdomen followed a series of kicks to the legs. He then Irish Whipped Maddox to the upper left turnbuckle and went for a senton splash, but Maddox got out of the way, ran off the ropes, and hit him with a running dropkick. The impact caused Kofi to roll outside on the apron. After Kofi got to his feet, Maddox went for a suplex, but Kofi countered it and got him in a victory roll pin. He got a 2 count. Maddox pushed Kofi out of the ring with his feet. He then went outside the ring, picked up Kofi, and slammed his head on the steel steps before bringing him back into the ring and going for a cover. He got a 2 count. Maddox picked up Kofi and brought him to the upper left turnbuckle. He hit him with a series kicks to the gut before giving him a snapmare followed by a chin lock. Kofi eventually go up and hit Maddox with a series of elbows to the gut before running off the ropes and hitting him with a leaping clothesline, followed by another, then a monkey flip before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Kofi picked up Maddox, but Maddox got him with a knee to the gut followed by a back suplex and went for the cover. He got a 2 count. Maddox picked up Kofi, then Irish Whipped him off the ropes and got him with a sidewalk slam into a cover. He got a 2 count. Maddox picked up Kofi and tossed him outside the ring. When Kofi got to his feet, Maddox ran off the rope and hit him with a baseball slide. Maddox then quickly got out of the ring, grabbed Kofi, and pushed him into the security wall, then hit his head against the ring apron before bringing him back into the ring. He dragged Kofi to the center of the ring and went to the top lower right turnbuckle. He went for a splash, but Kofi got out of the way got him in an Oklahoma roll pin. He got a 2 count. As Maddox got up, Kofi Irish Whipped him off the ropes and went for a two handed chop, but Maddox ducked. Kofi went for another, but Maddox ducked that, turned around, and got Kofi with a lifting inverted atomic drop followed by a dropkick, then the cover. He got a 2 count. Maddox picked up Kofi and gave him a snapmare, then ran off the ropes and went for a boot, but Kofi ducked it and hit Maddox with a dropkick. As Maddox got up, Kofi Irish Whipped him off the ropes, but Maddox countered and Irish Whipped him. He bent down and went for a back body drop, but Kofi countered it into a float over DDT before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Kofi picked up Maddox, but Maddox then Irish whipped him into the lower left turnbuckle, but Kofi jumped to the top turnbuckle and hit him with a diving crossbody. With Maddox down, Kofi ran off the ropes, and hit him with a Boom Drop before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Kofi picked up Maddox and went for the SOS, but Madox countered it into a Russian legsweep, before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Maddox picked up Kofi and hit him with a suplex followed by a leg drop before going for the cover again. He got a 2 count. Maddox picked up Kofi and suplexed him onto the ropes then ran off the ropes and hit him with a running cutter before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Maddox picked up Kofi and Irish Whipped him to the upper right turnbuckle. He went in for the charge, but Kofi hit him with a pendulum kick, then climbed up the turnbuckle and hit him with a crossbody pin. He got a 2 count. Maddox quickly got up and Kofi went for the Trouble in Paradise, but Maddox ducked and got him in a roll up pin. He got a 2 count. As Kofi got up, Maddox went for a clothesline, but Kofi countered it into the SOS and went for the pin. He got 2 count. Kofi picked up Maddox and hit him with a series of two-handed chops, then Irish Whipped him off the ropes and hit him with a leaping clothesline. He then ran off the ropes and went for another Boom Drop, but Maddox got his knees up and with Kofi groggy, he hit him with a single knee facebreaker before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Maddox picked up Kofi and went for an Irish Whip into the upper right turnbuckle, but Kofi countered it into an Irish Whip of his own and then gave Maddox the Koronco Buster followed by a two-handed chop. Kofi then backed up and got ready for the Trouble in Paradise. Maddox got to his feet and Kofi hit him with it, but Maddox rolled out of the ring. Kofi went after him, but then, unbeknown to the referee, Maddox hit Kofi in the head with a fire extinguisher. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Maddox hit Kofi with the Deal Breaker, his spinning sitout shoulder jawbreaker, and got the pin for the win.

"Here is your winner, Brad Maddox!" Lillian announced.

"Well Maddox caught Kofi with that fire extinguisher, unbeknown to the referee!" said JR.

"You have to give Maddox credit for capitalizing on the opportunity!" said Vickie.

"Opportunity?! Opportunity to cheat?!" said King.

"Hey! A win is a win and you do what you have to do to win!" said Vickie.

"Obviously, the General Manager position has not softened Mr. Maddox's in-ring skilled which before this point, I never realized he had," said JR.

* * *

Backstage, with microphone in hand, Matt Striker was preparing for an interview.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time, the Chairman of the WWE, Ira Sutton," said Striker. "Now Ira, sufficed to say, your first RAW as the new Chairman has going quite well. Do you think you can keep this momentum going?"

"Oh ho ho ho ho, Striker, you know I can! And if you think this is good, wait until you see what I have in store for you this Wednesday on Main Event! Plus, I still have my important piece of business later tonight. Oh what?! You...you thought bringing back the Cruiserweight title was my-ahahahahahahahaaaa! Oh no...no, no, no, no...You see my piece of business is something that will cause the very foundation of the WWE to shake like it has never shaken before and Striker, I guarantee you this, once I announce my business in the ring, you, the fans, everyone else in the back, and the whole damn world will have your eyeballs popping right out of your faces!" Ira said before he left.


	7. The Rise of a Sensation

David Otunga's music hit and he came out to boos.

"We are back live here on Monday Night RAW and we are ready for some one on one action and look who's back!" said JR.

"It's David Otunga!" said King.

"The following contest is set for one fall! Making his way to the ring, from Hollywood, California, weighing in at 229 pounds, David Otunga!" Lillian announced.

After David got into the ring, he began posing and flexing his muscles.

"Mmmmm, I like a man who has...assets..." said Vickie.

"Well I don't want any part of his 'assets'" said King.

Justin Gabriel's music hit and he came out to cheers.

"And his opponent, from Cape Town, South Africa, weighing in at 213 pounds, Justin Gabriel!" Lillian announced.

"Well the South Africa Sensation set to lock horns with the Harvard Law School Graduate and King and Vickie, still to come, what could possibly be the important piece of business that Ira is talking about?" asked JR.

"I'm not sure, JR, but before we went to break, he said it was something that would make our eyeballs pop out? I wonder it could be?" Vickie said.

"Oh, I gotta tell ya, my spine is shaking like a late night bed! I can't wait to hear what it is!" said King.

The bell rang and the match began.

The two began with a lockup. Gabriel went from behind and grabbed Otunga, but then Otunga elbowed him a few times in the head and got out. Otunga tried to hit Gabriel with a scoop slam, but Gabriel countered out, grabbed him from behind, and got him in a roll up. He got a 1 count. Otunga got up and went for a clothesline, but Gabriel ducked it and hit him with a series of side kicks. Otunga caught one of his kick and hit him with a belly to belly suplex before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Otunga picked up Gabriel and went for a back suplex, but Gabriel countered it by landing on his feet and caught Otunga with a couple of dropkicks, then ran off the ropes, only to be met with a running shoulder block by Otunga. Otunga then picked up Gabriel and got him with a scoop slam, got him in a sitting position, ran off the ropes, and got him with another running shoulder block before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Otunga picked up Gabriel and Irish Whipped him to the upper right turnbuckle and went for the charge, but Gabriel caught him with the kick, followed by a series of elbows and a kick. He then ran off the ropes and charged in, but Otunga caught him with another belly to belly suplex, then picked him up again and slammed his head on the lower left turnbuckle. Otunga hit Gabriel with a series of punches and kicks to the gut, then with Gabriel seated, he stomped away at him. He then picked up Gabriel and slammed his head on the lower right turnbuckle, then Irish Whipped him into the upper left turnbuckle and went for a turnbuckle clothesline, but Gabriel rolled forward, dodging it, and hit Otunga with a spinning heel kick. With Otunga down, he dragged him to the center of the ring and springboarded off the ropes and hit him with a moonsault then the cover. He got a 2 count. Gabriel picked up Otunga and went for an Irish Whip off the ropes, but Otunga reversed it into an Irish Whip of his own and hit him with a clothesline before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Otunga then put Gabriel in a headlock. Eventually, Gabriel got up and countered into a jawbreaker. With Otunga groggy, Gabriel hit him with a spinning hell kick which sent him outside the ring. Once Otunga got to his feet, Gabriel ran through the ropes and got him with a suicide dive. Gabriel picked up Otunga and brought him back into the ring, then Irish Whipped him off the ropes and hit him with a discus forearm smash, then springboarded off the ropes and went for another moonsault, but Otunga got his knees up. Otunga got up and hit Gabriel with a powerbomb before going for a pin. He got a 2 count. Otunga picked up Gabriel and Irish Whipped him off the ropes and went for a clothesline, but Gabriel ducked and got him with a legsweep. With Otunga down, Gabriel climbed up the lower left turnbuckle and went for the 450 splash, but Otunga again got his knees up. Otunga went from behind Gabriel and got him with a falling neckbreaker before going for the pin. He got a 2 count. Otunga picked up Gabriel and went for the Verdict, but Gabriel countered it into a DDT, then climbed up the lower right turnbuckle and hit him with the 450 splash and get the pin for the win.

"Here is your winner, Justin Gabriel!" Lillian announced.

"And Gabriel with an impressive victory over a game Otunga!" said JR. "I've always had a lot of respect for this young man, and I see nothing but bright things in the future for Mr. Gabriel."

* * *

Backstage, Darren Young and Titus O'Neil were preparing for their upcoming match.

Darren was fixing his hair with his comb when he was surprised by Titus who blew his whistle loud in his ear.

"Hey! Can you give a guy a little warning next time?!" said Darren.

"Yo man! This is no time to be prepping your hair, man! We got a big time match comin' up next! If we can beat the S.H.I.E.L.D, we get them at the Rumble! Now let's go out their and some them that when it comes to the Primetime Players everything we do is millions of dollars, millions of dollars, millions of dollars, millions of dollars, millions of dollars," said Titus.

With that, the Primetime Players headed out to the ring.

* * *

Meanwhile elsewhere backstage, Brad Maddox was still catching his breath from his match with Kofi when he was greeting by Ira with a pat on the back.

"Hey! Nice job out there, son!" said Ira.

"Thank you," said Brad.

"You know something, in all seriousness, you're a lot more talented than people give you credit for and you just proved that very well against Kofi tonight. So with that being said, I taking this opportunity to name you as an official entrant in the Royal Rumble match," Ira said to the shock and pleasant surprise of Maddox before he walked off.


	8. Game Time!

_Promo vignette_

_A bustling city._

_A nearby bank is being robbed. The burglars take all the money and exit out when they are met by a group of five. The mysterious group quickly defeats the burglars and returns the money to the bank._

"Wherever injustice rears its ugly head and crime roams, one team will always be there to set things right," said the announcer.

_The five jump on top of a tall building and do heroic poses._

"They are...the V Force!"

_Fade to black_

* * *

"Well the stars continue to make their way here to the WWE and one can only imagine the agenda of this V Force," said JR.

"That looked like something out of Superman!" said King.

The Primetime Players' music hit and they came out to cheers.

"The following non-title contest is set for one fall! Making their way to the ring, at a combined weight of 509 pounds, Titus O'Neil and Darren Young, The Prime Time Players!" Lillian announced.

"What an opportunity for Titus and Darren tonight!" said Vickie.

"Indeed, a shot for the Tag Titles at the rumble is on the line in this matchup tonight!" said JR.

The Shield's theme music played and they came through the crowd to boos.

"And their opponents, representing the Shield, at a combined weight of 482 pounds, they are the WWE Tag Team Champions, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns!" Lillian announced.

"Again, ladies and gentlemen, if the Prime Time Players can overcome the members of the Shield here tonight, they will be given an opportunity at their title at Rumble in four weeks in Phoenix," said JR.

The bell rang and the match began.

Darren and Rollins started the match. Darren began by running off the ropes. Rollins ducked under. Darren ran off the ropes again and again, Rollins, ducked under. Darren went off the ropes again and Rollins tried to get him with an armdrag takedown, but Young countered it into his own and got him with a number of armdrags. Rollins went for a clothesline, but Darren ducked and got him with a back suplex before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Darren picked up Rollins and got him in an arm wrench. Rolins rolled over and got him in an arm wrench of his own. Darren did the same and then Rollins got him with a knee to the gut then Irish Whipped him off the ropes, but Darren got him with a shoulder block, then ran off the ropes again. Rollins ducked underneath and got him with a spinning heel kick. As Darren got to his feet, Rollins got him with a scoop slam then went for an elbow drop, but Darren dodged and Irish Whipped him to his team's corner before tagging in Titus. The two Irish Whipped Rollins off the ropes and got him with a double shoulder tackle before Titus went for the cover. He got a count. Titus picked up Rollins and got him with a series of punches to the head and brought him to the lower left turnbuckle where he hit him with a number of kicks to the gut before he Irish Whipped him to the upper right turnbuckle. He went in for the charge, but Rollins moved out of the way, ran off the ropes, and got him with a running single leg dropkick. As Titus got up, Rollins tagged in Reigns who charged him into the upper right turnbuckle and hit him with a series of shoulder blocks. He then brought him out and got him with a scoop slam before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Reigns picked up Titus and got him with a series of punches to the head and gut, but then Titus retaliated with some strikes of his own, then a kick to the gut. He then Irish Whipped Reigns off the ropes and got him with a running shoulder block, however Reigns did not go down. Reigns than ran off the ropes and hit Titus with a running shoulder tackle, but did not knock him down. The two then simultaneously ran off the ropes and both went for shoulder tackles, but neither one was knocked down. They ran off the ropes again and got each other with a clothesline, knocking them both down. As both men slowly got up, Titus grabbed Reigns and went for a powerbomb, but Reigns got out with a few punches to the head, the a kick to the gut, followed by a gutbuster before going for the pin. He got a 2 count. Reigns picked up Titus and brought him to his team's corner and tagged in Rollins. Reigns held Titus in the lower right turnbuckle while Rollins got him with a number of punches to the gut. Rollins then gave him the snapmare, ran off the ropes and got him with a running drop kick before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Rollins picked up Titus and brought him to his team's corner and tagged in Reigns. Reigns Irish Whipped Titus off the ropes and got him with an elevated atomic drop, then a clothesline. Rollins then springboarded off the second rope and got him with a twisting senton before Reigns went for the cover. He got a 2 count. Reigns got Titus in a seated position and put him in a headlock. Titus slowly got up and hit Reigns with a few elbows to the gut, but Reigns retaliated with a club to the back followed by an elbow to the back of the head. Reigns then brought Titus to his team's corner and tagged in Rollins. Reigns got Titus with a scoop slam, then Rollins springboarded off the ropes and got Titus with a leg drop before going for the pin. He got a 2 count. Rollins picked up Titus and slammed his head against the lower left turnbuckle then hit him with a number of punches to the gut. He then backed up and came at him with a corner forearm smash. Rollins went for the snapmare again, but Titus countered it and pushed Rollins off the ropes and clotheslined him from behind. Both men were down and Titus slowly went to tag in his partner. When he finally did, Darren came in and got Rollins with a number of clotheslines. He then went for an Irish Whip off the ropes, but Rollins countered it into an Irish Whip of his own. Rollins went for a clothesline, but Darren ducked it came from behind with a Northern Lights suplex pin. He got a 2 count. Darren picked up Rollins, but Rollins go him with a punch to the head and booted him in the gut towards the ropes. Rollins charged in, but Darren back body dropped him out of the ring. Reigns came into the ring and attacked Darren, but then Titus suddenly came in and hit Reigns with a flying shoulder tackle. Outside the ring, Rollins got to his feet. Darren ran off the ropes and hit him with a baseball slide.

"The action in this match has picked up quickly, folks! A shot at the titles at the Rumble is on the line! We'll be right back!" said JR.


	9. Millions of Dollars

"We are back on Monday Night RAW with the Prime Time Players going against the two members of the Shield with a chance at the Tag Team Titles at the Rumble at stake!" said JR.

The match continued with Titus pushing Reigns into the steel steps. Rollins came from behind off the barricade and got Titus with a flying clothesline. As Rollins got up, Darren slingshotted over the ropes and got him with a crossbody.

"JR, Vickie, this match has been nothing but non-stop action!" said King.

"Yeah, during the break, Rollins coming off the top rope to the outside with a suicide crossbody to the Prime Time Players," said Vickie.

"Now the action has been taking back to the ring. Darren and Rollins, the legal men," said JR.

Darren brought Rollins back in the ring and went for a cover. He got a 2 count. Darren picked up Rollins, Irish Whipped him off the ropes, and got him with a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker. Both were down and slowly went to their corners and tagged in their partners. Titus got Reigns with a couple of clotheslines, then Irish Whipped him off the ropes and got him with a back body drop followed by a hard clothesline before going for the cover. The cover was broken up by Rollins. Reigns and Rollins Irish Whipped Titus off the ropes, but he got them both with a clothesline. Rollins got up at the upper right turnbuckle and Titus charged at him. He then Irish Whipped him into Darren who gave him a German suplex into the lower left turnbuckle. Titus then Irish Whipped Reigns off the ropes and went for a clothesline, but Rollins ducked and got him with a number of punches to the face, then ran off the ropes and hit him with a clothesline before going for the cover. The pin was broken up by Darren.

"Again, this is for a shot at the Tag Team Titles!" said J.R.

As Darren got up, Rollins shoulder blocked him out of the ring. Reigns ran off the ropes and went for a clothesline, but Titus ducked it, ran off the ropes, and got him with a running big boot before going for the cover. Rollins pulled Titus out of the ring and went for a punch to the face, but Titus blocked it and got him with a punch, then smashed his head on the announce table, then hip threw him onto the floor. Darren got in the ring and hit Reigns with a number of punches, then ran off the ropes, but Reigns caught him with a spear.

"Man! What a match!" said King.

Titus got back in the ring, kicked Reigns in the gut and got him with a shoulderbreaker before going for the cover. Titus picked up Reigns and Irish Whipped him to the upper left turnbuckle. He went in for the charge, but Reigns caught him with a kick to the face, then ran off the ropes, but Titus caught him with The Clash of the Titus and pinned him for the win.

"They did it!" said King.

"Here are your winners, Titus O'Neil and Darren Young, the Prime Time Players!" Lillian announced.

"A hard fought victory for Titus O'Neil and Darren Young!" said Vickie.

"And with that victory, the Prime Time Players have a date with the Shield at the Royal Rumble with the Tag Team Titles on the line!" said J.R.

* * *

Backstage, Matt Striker was with two guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guests at this time, Paul Heyman and Curtis Axel," Striker said. "Paul, as it regards to the new Chairman, Ira Sutton, what are your thoughts?"

"Well let me start off by saying this, to own the WWE as whole is like owning a precious child. It is something you have to take extra special care of and be extra delicate with. Now suffice to say, I have my doubts about Mr. Sutton's competence in running a multi-billion dollar corporation, and quite frankly, as the old saying goes, 'better to work with the devil you know than the devil you don't know.' However, with that being said, I have been observing Mr. Sutton's style of making business decisions and I myself possibly see an opportunity. An opportunity to elevate the status of my client, Curtis Axel. But you see, it all depends on how well you get on the good side the higher establishment and at this time, that is Ira Sutton. So Mr. Striker, right now only time will tell what happens with the WWE under the jurisdiction of Mr. Ira Sutton. Thank you very much," Paul said before he and Curtis left.

* * *

In his office, Ira was pacing back and forth.

"Well there is the Chairman who seems to be somewhat uncertain," said J.R. "I can only assume this has something to do with the earth-shaking announcement that has yet to be made."

"I cannot wait to hear what it is!" said King.

"Neither can I!" said Vickie.

* * *

Elsewhere backstage, AJ Lee was heading towards the arena.

"Well there is the Diva's Champion, AJ, and she is in action! She will take on the Funkadactyl, Naomi! That match is next!" King said.


	10. A Widow's Touch

Naomi came out to big cheers.

"We are back live on Monday Night RAW and King, Vickie, it's time to get funky!" said J.R.

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall, making her way to the ring, from Orlando Florida, Naomi!" Lillian announced.

"This will be our second diva's match of the night," said J.R.

"So nice, we do it twice! Woo hoo!" said King.

"We have our new Chairman, Mr. Ira Sutton to thank for that," said J.R.

"I think Ira has become my new best friend!" said King.

"King, you are so pathetic..." said Vickie.

AJ Lee's music played and she came out to boos.

"And her opponent, from Union City, New Jersey, she is the WWE Diva's Champion, AJ Lee!" Lillian announced.

"I wonder what AJ thought about the impressive debuting Mirth?" asked King. "She could be a possible contender for her Diva's Championship."

"Not sure, to steal a line from Paul Heyman, only time will tell," said J.R.

The bell rang and the match began.

The two began in a lockup, then AJ gave Naomi a knee to the gut, then ran off the ropes. Naomi ducked under. AJ ran off the ropes and Naomi ducked under again and AJ rolled forward then ran towards Naomi who pushed her forward off the ropes then rolled forward toward AJ who jumped over her and rolled forward. AJ ran towards Naomi who grabbed her and tilted her over. AJ landed on her feet. Naomi went for a clothesline, but AJ ducked and ran off the ropes. Naomi bent down and AJ jumped over her and got her in a victory roll pin. Naomi quickly rolled out and got her in a prawn hold. AJ quickly kicked out. As Naomi got up, AJ got her with a headlock takedown. Naomi soon got to her feet and hit AJ with a number of elbows to the gut, then bounced her off the ropes and went for a clothesline, but AJ ducked, ran off the ropes, and got her with a running dropkick, followed by two more. She then ran off the ropes, but Naomi caught her with a dropkick of her own before going for the cover. She got a 2 count. Naomi picked up AJ and Irish Whipped her into the lower right turnbuckle and went in for the charge, but Naomi caught her with a kick to the face. AJ charged in again and Naomi tried again to get her with the kick, but AJ caught it, brought her foot down and got her with a couple of forearms to the face. She then gave her a snapmare, then ran off the ropes and got her with a running dropkick before going for the cover. She got a 2 count.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for those of you who have just joined us, we have a new Chairman of the WWE. His name is Ira Sutton and he has made one hell of an impact for his first RAW," said J.R.

AJ picked up Naomi and got her with a back suplex before going for the cover again. She got a 2 count.

"Yeah! Thanks to him, we got you back! But unfortunately, we also got Vickie here too," said King.

"Oh, I hate you too, King," said Vickie.

"Also, he has made the announcement that both the WWE and World Titles will be contested for the first time at WrestleMania in fatal four way matches where the five spots will be determined in a series of four man tournaments. He has also brought back the Cruiserweight Title, we saw the first match of the tournament to decide the new champ at the Rumble, a great match between Masato Yoshino and Tyson Kidd, and there later tonight, Ira has said that he will make an announcement that will shake the very foundation of the WWE," said J.R.

"Oh boy! He cannot make that announcement any sooner for my tastes!" said King.

AJ picked up Naomi and brought her to the upper right turnbuckle then put her on the top rope. She climbed up on her and got her with a few punches to the head, then Naomi pushed her off of her. When AJ got to her feet, Naomi jumped off the top turnbuckle, then AJ rolled forward. Naomi rolled forward when she landed on her feet. AJ kicked her in the gut, then Irish Whipped her off the ropes and went for a clothesline, but Naomi ducked it ran off the ropes, and went for a clothesline, but then AJ dodged it with a wide leg split. Naomi jumped over AJ, then ran off the ropes and flipped over her again. AJ got up and went for a punch to the head, but Naomi blocked it and went for a clothesline. AJ ducked it Matrix style, then turned around and gave her a hurricanrana. As Naomi got to her feet, AJ Irish Whipped her to the lower right turnbuckle and got her with a running dropkick. Naomi was now seated at the turnbuckle and AJ kicked her a few times in the gut and choked her with her knee. AJ then picked up Naomi and Irish Whipped her off the ropes and got her with a spinning heel kick before going for the cover. She got a 2 count. AJ went for a leg drop, but Naomi got out of the way, then ran off the ropes and got her with a seated senton. She then went to the upper left turnbuckle, went to the second rope, and as AJ got up, she got her with a missile dropkick before going for the cover. She got a 2 count and AJ Matrixed out of the pin, then hit her with an enziguri, then ran off the ropes and got her with a shining wizard before going for the cover. She got a 2 count. AJ turned over Naomi and got her with a fujiwara armbar. After getting to her feet, Naomi rolled over, getting out of AJ's grip, and got her with an enziguri. Both AJ and Naomi were down and the referee started counting.

"What about those comments from Heyman earlier?" asked King.

"It would seem that Mr. Heyman is quite weary of our new Chairman, and admittedly for good reason," said J.R.

"Damn right, for good reason! I'm sure a lot of guys back there probably don't even trust Ira! I know I don't!" said Vickie.

"Well far be it for me to agree with Heyman, but one thing I do agree with on is that only time will tell," said J.R.

By the count of 6, the two got up. AJ went for a clothesline, but Naomi ducked it, ran off the ropes, and hit her with a clothesline, followed another, then a dropkick. Naomi then ran off the ropes, but AJ caught her with a sleeper hold. Naomi countered it with a sitout jawbreaker before going for the cover. She got a 2 count. Naomi picked up AJ, but AJ got her with a knee to the gut then went for a powerbomb, but Naomi countered it into a hurricanrana, then Irish Whipped her off the ropes, and got her with a leg lariat before going for the cover. She got a 2 count. Naomi dragged AJ to the center of the ring, went to the lower left turnbuckle, climbed the top rope, and went for a moonsault, but AJ got her knees up.

"Oh! Naomi went for the moonsault, nothing but knees!" said J.R.

AJ ran off the ropes and got Naomi with a running bulldog. She then waited for Naomi to get up again, ran off the ropes, and got her with the Black Widow. She eventually tapped out, making AJ the winner.

"Here is your winner, AJ Lee!" Lillian announced.

"That torturous Black Widow hold is devastating!" said J.R.

* * *

Backstage, CM Punk was making his way to the arena.

"Well there's CM Punk who seems to be making his way to the ring! What could the Best in the World have to say? Whatever it is, you know it's gonna be a pipebomb!" said J.R.


	11. A Straight Edge Royal

_Promo vignette._

_In a church, a white man with long brown hair covering his face and wearing a white robe is sitting reading a bible._

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, he called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. On the second day, God made the sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. On the third day, God created the land and the seas, the plants, and the trees, and God saw that it was good. On the fourth day, God created the stars to separate the light from the darkness, and God saw that it was good. On the fifth day, God created the animals of the land and sea and he saw that it was good. On the sixth day, God created man, and said, 'let the fruits be your food and rule over all creatures of land and sea.' He saw that was good," the man said.

_The man pulls his head back, causing part of his hair to pull back, revealing part of his face._

"And in the coming day, Alex Cross will enter the WWE and strike down upon the creatures of its domain. And that...will be...good," the man said.

_Alex Cross_

_Coming soon_

* * *

CM Punk's music hit and he came out to loud cheers.

"Man! J.R. the stars are really comin' in," said King.

"Yes they are and would you listen to the ovation for the Chicago-born son!" said J.R.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, CM Punk!" Lillian announced.

Once he was in the ring, Punk grabbed a microphone and started talking. "You know, far be it for me to ever agree with that fat, blubbery, sweaty, slimy, bulbous, smelly, overly rotund walrus, Paul Heyman, but earlier, he actually said something that I agree with as it pertains to the new head of this company. You see, I've seen a lot of owners come and go. I've seen guys like Eric Bischoff (and we all know how his company turned out), I've of course seen Vince McMahon, and the thing about both of them is, even though I think the whole world will agree that they are both the most egocentric, money-grubbing, corporate jackasses in history, at the very least, the were the devils you knew. In the case of Mr. Ira Sutton, this is a whole different kind of devil. It's the kind of devil where you don't know what to expect, the kind of devil where you don't know what goes on in his twisted mind. But hey, don't accuse me of being judgmental, I believe in the benefit of the doubt, but Ira, let me tell you this right now, I may not have any experience in this field, but trust me when I tell you, running a juggernaut like this is not something to play around with. When it comes to the legal world out there, there are dozens and dozens of sneaky, underhanded suits that like to prey on the unexpected, especially when they're at their most vulnerable..." Punk said when suddenly, Paul Heyman came onto the stage to loud boos.

"Speak of the walrus," said King.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman...and-" Heyman said before CM Punk cut him off.

"And nobody gives a mother fucking crap!" Punk shouted. "And since we're not PG anymore, I can say that to you all I want and not get reprimanded for it!"

"Very true indeed, Punk, but what you fail to realize is that both you and myself as well the others in that locker room find ourselves in the shadows of a new era. An era, mind you, in which the right people can benefit from. People like myself for example. Now even though, I admit, I do have my doubt about Mr. Sutton, I feel that maybe he is a reasonable fellow and I'm sure-" Punk once again cut off Heyman.

"Yeah, I may not know anything about Ira, but something tells me kissing his ass is not gonna work, so you might as well just back your fat ass up! Or better yet, why don't I do it for ya with my foot?!" Punk said.

Heyman bowed his head and gave a sinister grimace before looking up at Punk again. "Well, Punk, if this is indeed not PG anymore, then I guess that means that I have obligation to make your life as miserable as I please, and rest assured, CM Punk, I will do everything in my power to make you suffer, to make you cry, to make you beg for mercy, to make. You. Bleed!" Heyman said.

"Well if this is not PG anymore, than I guess what that also means is that I'm allowed to do with you whatever I assure you, Paul Heyman, when I get my hands on you and I will get my hands on you, I will not stop, I will not rest until you are a shivering, twitching, writhing pile of blood!" said Punk.

"Well, Punk, I'm afraid you won't make it that far because as you all may know, coming up in a few weeks is an event known as the Royal Rumble in which 30 superstars will compete for the opportunity to compete in the main event of WrestleMania. And as it pertains to my clients, Mr. Curtis Axel and Mr. Ryback, I intend for one of them to be victorious in the Royal Rumble and go on to WrestleMania and compete in one of the fatal four way matches and Punk, I'm afraid that while you're around, you are somewhat of a hindrance. And aside from that, I want to make extra, extra sure that you never ever have the opportunity to win the Royal Rumble and go onto WrestleMania and never, ever again become the WWE Champion!" said Heyman.

"Oh that would just kill you, wouldn't it? It would just keep you up at night if I were to become WWE Champion, wouldn't it?" said Punk.

"YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT IT WOULD!" Heyman shouted.

"Well I'll tell you something, I was planning on once again becoming WWE Champion, but now it seems I have extra motivation, because Paul, your worst nightmare is gonna come true, because right here tonight, on January 1st, 2013, CM Punk officially announces that he is entering the Royal Rumble! And I will win the Royal Rumble and go on to WrestleMania and become WWE Champion, and I will break my previous record of 434 days, which by the way, I did all by myself with no help from you, and in the midst of it all, Paul Heyman, I'm going to get my hands on you. And who knows, maybe it'll be before the Royal Rumble, or after, maybe it'll before or after WrestleMania, or during my next long championship reign, but one way or another, I am going to get my hands on you!" Punk proclaimed.

"Punk, it will be a cold day in Hell before you become the WWE Champion again! After all, I stopped you once before or do you not remember?" Heyman said.

Indeed, Punk did remember, nor would he ever forget that fateful night at Money in the Bank when Heyman robbed him of his opportunity to win his third Money in the Bank contract.

"I don't need you to remind me, I remember well enough! I trusted you, Paul, I TRUSTED YOU!" Punk shouted.

"WELL THAT WAS YOUR MISTAKE! And since we're talking about trust, trust me on this, Punk..." Heyman said, stopping in mid sentence.

Punk was waiting for Heyman to finish when from out of the ring, Curtis Axel came and jumped him from behind.

Axel went for an Irish Whip, but Punk reversed it and got him with a side kick to the head before wailing on him with a number of punches. Punk then exited the ring with the intention of going after Heyman, but then something grabbed his leg from underneath the ring and pulled him.

"What the hell?!" said King.

It turned out to be Ryback who clubbed Punk in the head a number of times with his forearms.

"It's Ryback! Ryback was hiding underneath the ring and has subdued CM Punk!" said J.R.

Axel recovered and joined in the beatdown.

"Once again, Heyman has gotten the better of Punk," said Vickie.

Punk tried to fight back, but the two were just too much for him.

Ryback picked up Punk and charged him into the steel ring post, then gave him Shellshock on the floor. Then Axel picked him up and gave him a Perfect-Plex on the floor.

"Shellshock and the Perfect-Plex combined make one bad day for CM Punk!" said J.R.

With that, Axel and Ryback went up the stage with Heyman where they departed together in victory.

"Fellas, it seems that Punk's endeavors to get his hands on Heyman are always met with two road blocks by the names of Curtis Axel and Ryback," said J.R.

* * *

Backstage, Ira walked through the halls with intense focus, making his way into the arena.

"Well this is it, folks! Ira has promised an announcement that will shake the very foundation of the WWE!" said J.R.

"It's time! It's time!" exclaimed King.

"Indeed it is time! And it's next!" said J.R.


	12. The Challenge

Backstage, Matt Striker was with a guest.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time, Mirth." said Striker. "Mirth, earlier tonight, you had an impressive victory over Alicia Fox, so what our the WWE fans want to know is, what are your plans here in the WWE?"

"Well like I said, Striker, I'm here to spread the proud colors of the Irish flag to the WWE and no one will stop from doing so. You see, my plan is simple; I'm gonna dominate the women's division and soon, I will become the Diva's Champion and I don't care who gets in my way, I-" Mirth said before she cut off by an attacking Alicia Fox.

"Alicia Fox! Alicia Fox is going after Mirth!" said J.R.

"She's obviously still stinging from that loss," said King.

"And she should be, Mirth cheated!" said Vickie.

The two females started brawling back and forth until some referees came in to break them up.

"Well we all know how spirited Alicia Fox is," said J.R.

* * *

Ira Sutton's music hit and he came out to loud cheers.

"OK, this is it, J.R.!" exclaimed King.

"Ira has said that this announcement will shake the very foundation of the WWE," said J.R.

"I can only guess what it is. You can't tell what's going through this guy's crazy head," said Vickie.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, Ira Sutton!" Lillian announced.

Ira entered the ring, grabbed a microphone, and began speaking.

"You know, when I first challenged Vince McMahon, I have to admit, I was a little nervous, but all the while those long months, I knew the important thing was to keep my head straight up and not be afraid. So sufficed to say, I was a tad bit surprised when I eventually won the case, even more surprised when Vince decided to shake my hand in his defeat. And needless to say, over the past couple of days, I've realized being the Chairman of a whole company is a lot harder than it seems. You wouldn't believe the number of calls and text messages I got, the meetings, the 2 or 3 hundred corporate lunches, whoowee! It's quite a rocky road! But nonetheless, I am happy to stand here before each and everyone of you as the new Chairman of the WWE and like I said, this revolution has truly began and the next step in this revolution will begin next Monday night, here on RAW! But in the meantime, there is something else I wanna point out. You see, after I had won the case with McMahon, I of course sat down with my lawyers and representative of the WWE to go over my contract. The negotiations had everything that was needed of course. The contract said that all power in WWE would go to me and responsibilities of talent relations and booking was also mine as well. Those were the terms of the contract that was presented. However, there was also a fine print that I took the time to add beforehand and at the bottom of the contract, it said, "Ira Dwight Sutton Jr., Chairman, CEO, President of Talent Relations...and...wrestler," Ira said.

"What?" J.R., King, and Vickie said.

Ira continued. "So what that means is not only am I running the day to day operations of everything inside and out the WWE, but when I see fit or if I need to, I can step in this ring and compete. And I was thinking to myself, what better place to compete...than WrestleMania. And there's only one person and one person only who I can think of to face...The Undertaker!"

"WHAT?!" J.R. exclaimed.

"THE UNDERTAKER?!" exclaimed King.

"IS HE CRAZY?!" Vickie exclaimed.

The crowd was also in shock.

"So Undertaker, if you're watching from somewhere, and I know you are, I'll be waiting for you to give me an answer, but you got two months to make your decision. I'll be waiting, Deadman!" Ira said before he walked off.

"My god!" said J.R.

"I-I can't believe this!" said King.

"The Chariman of the WWE, has a part time wrestler clause in his contract and for his first opponent, he has challenged The Undertaker!" said J.R.

"I'll say it again, is he crazy?!" said Vickie.

"Well folks, on that shocking note, we thank you for joining us here on Monday Night RAW! For Jerry "The King" Lawler and Vickie Guerrero, I'm Jim Ross and we will see you next time! Goodnight everybody! My God! IRa has challenged The Undertaker!" J.R. exclaimed.


	13. A Hardcore Main Event

**WWE Main Event**

**1/3/2013**

**SAP Center, San Jose, California**

* * *

**Main Event music plays**

**Opening Pyro**

* * *

"Welcome to WWE's Main Event! Coming to you live from the SAP Center in San Jose California, I'm Josh Matthews and not only is this the first Main Event of 2013, but also the first Main Event under the influence of our new Chairman, Ira Sutton! And during the course of this broadcast, we will have a brick-by-brick detail of the legal battle between Vince McMahon and Ira Sutton. Yes, for the first time ever, it is coming to you live here on WWE's Main Event!" said Matthews.

Ira's theme music hit and he came out to loud applause. He was also carrying a black bag.

"And apparently, we are about to be joined by Ira Sutton himself. The man who challenged the one and only Vince McMahon and came out on top. That was shocking in itself, but I think what was even more shocking, was last Monday Night on RAW when Ira came out and said that in his contract, he is not only the Chairman of the company, but also a wrestler, and not only that, announces that he will compete in his first match at WrestleMania and has challenged of all people...The Undertaker! We hope to get more on that shocking announcement soon. Maybe we'll find out tonight and maybe why I'm sitting here alone, and also just what that is he's carrying," said Matthews.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, the Chairman of the WWE, Ira Sutton!" Justin Roberts announced.

Ira took the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Main Event!" he proclaimed.

The crowd roared.

Ira then continued. "You are in for one hell of a night! We got a lot of things to cover! Tonight, we'll have the second match of the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament and for the first time ever, you will see the details of how yours truly beat Vince McMahon and gain this whole damn company! And as most you may know, last Monday Night on RAW, I issued a challenge at WrestleMania to The Undertaker. We'll this Friday night on Smackdown, I will give my reasons why, but for right now, let's focus on tonight. And with that being said, allow me to introduce to you at this time the newest member of the Main Event announce team, making his return, Todd Grisham!" said Ira.

Todd came out to mild cheers.

"Well this is a surprise. Todd Grisham making his return to Main Event!" said Matthews. Todd took his seat at the announce table after shaking Mathews' hand. "Welcome back."

"It's great to be back," said Grisham.

"Now onto our next piece of business. Just like Monday night, I've got a black bag here and I think you know what that means...that's right, I've got a championship..." Ira said slyly.

With that, Ira pulled the belt out of the bag and held it upside down backwards so no one could see it. Then he slowly lifted it up over his head and revealed it to the audience. To their shock and pleasant surprise, it was the Hardcore Championship.

The crowd erupted and chanted:

"Hardcore!"

"Hardcore!"

"Hardcore!"

"Hardcore!"

"Hardcore!"

"Hardcore!"

"Hardcore!"

"Hardcore!"

"Hardcore!"

"Hardcore!"

"For those of you who may not recognize this (more specifically, those of you who are from ages 4-12) this is the Hardcore Championship!" said Ira. "The last time this championship was seen was over 11 years ago when it was unified with the Intercontinental Championship. I am proud to say that have brought it back from the depths and here tonight, we will crown a new Hardcore Champion! As a matter of fact, that will happen right...now."

RVD's music hit and he came out to cheers.

"Well Grisham, Ira sure picked a good time to bring you back! We have the return of the Hardcore Championship here tonight!" said Matthews.

"The following contest set for one fall is for the WWE Hardcore Championship! Approaching the ring, from Battle Creek, Michigan, weighing in at 237 pounds, Rob Van Dam!" Roberts announced.

"Well I cannot wait for this," said Grisham. "The Hardcore Championship has been one of the most unpredictable title in the WWE and has been held by virtually a plethora of WWE superstars including this man, Rob Van Dam, the late Crash Holly, Hardcore Holly, Tazz..."

Just then, Steve Blackman's music hit and he came out to a thunderous applause.

"And this man!" Grisham finished.

"And his opponent, from Annville, Pennsylvania, weighing in at 246 pounds, the Lethal Weapon, Steve Blackman!" Roberts announced.

"Steve Blackman, a 6 time Hardcore Champion, would love to make it 7 on his return," said Grisham.

The bell rang and the match began,

Blackman and RVD shook hands before beginning. They paused for a minute, then they both rushed out of the ring and started taking weapons from underneath and throwing them in the ring; from trash cans, lids, stop signs, etc... Getting back in the ring, Blackman and RVD both grabbed a trash can lid and stood their ground. Similar to a swordfight, they banged their lids against each other before putting them down. Blackman picked up a trash can, but as he turned around, RVD got him with a running front dropkick. RVD picked up Blackman and gave him a scoop slam followed by a spiral leg drop before going for the cover. He got a 1 count. RVD picked up Blackman and slammed his head on the lower left turnbuckle. He then gave him a series of kicks to the gut, then went outside the ring and got a chair. He came back in, placed the folded chair down, and went for a rolling thunder into a monkey flip, but Blackman countered it into a powerbomb on the chair. Blackman then stomped him a few times, then picked him up and punched him in the head a few times, then Irish Whipped him off the ropes and got him with a back elbow. He then picked up a trash can lid and hit RVD multiple times with it before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Blackman picked up RVD wailed on him with a combination of kicks and punches, followed by a hard punch to the head, knocking him down. Blackman then picked RVD up again and hung him in a tree of woe on the upper right turnbuckle before hitting him with a running dropkick and going for the cover. He got a 2 count.

"This match is for the Hardcore Championship," said Grisham. "For those of you who are unfamiliar with concept of the Hardcore Title, it is held 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, falls count anywhere, and everything including the kitchen sink is legal."

Blackman went outside the ring and grabbed a kitchen sink from underneath and brought it in. He was going to hit RVD with it, but RVD got him with a knee to the gut, followed by a suplex. As Blackman got on his feet, RVD grabbed a sign and hit him on the head, then gave him a powerbomb before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. RVD picked up Blackman, but Blackman got him with a number of punches to the gut, followed be a knee to the gut, before he threw him to the outside. Once outside, Blackman pushed RVD into the barricade then got him with a number of kicks to the gut. He then pulled a kendo stick out of underneath the ring and went for the attack with it, but RVD got out of the way and got him with a side kick to the head. He then went to suplex him onto the barricade, but Blackman blocked and got him with a punch to the gut. RVD retaliated with a punch to the head and tried to Irish Whip Blackman into the steel steps, but Blackman reversed it and Irish Whipped RVD into the steel steps. Blackman picked up RVD and put him in the ring with his head outside the apron.

"This is a historic night on Main Event. The return of the Hardcore Title and as Ira mentioned before, we will have match 2 of the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament and after this match, we will show the first bits of the legal battle between Ira Sutton and Vince McMahon," said Matthews.

Blackman took out two trash cans lids and hit RVD multiple times in the head. Then he took the kendo stick, got into the ring, and struck RVD hard in the testicles.

"Ow!" Matthews exclaimed.

"And that will definitely put a hold on RVD's plans to have children," said Grisham.

Blackman went for the cover. He got a 2 count. Blackman picked up RVD and Irish Whipped him off the ropes and went for a clothesline, but RVD ducked it and got him with a jumping back kick before grabbing a chair.

"Nice kick by Van Dam, but no doubt still stinging from that painful shot to the lower area from Blackman," said Grisham.

RVD placed the chair on top of Blackman, then ran off the ropes and got him with a Rolling Thunder.

"Van Dam throwing caution to the wind!" exclaimed Matthews.

RVD went for the cover. He got a 2 count. RVD placed the chair in the center of the ring. He then picked up Blackman and brought him to the lower right turnbuckle. He gave him a couple of shoulder thrusts, then back flipped and monkey flipped him onto the chair before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Blackman crawled towards the kitchen sink. RVD went over and grabbed Blackman, but Blackman hit him in the head with the kitchen sink. Blackman picked up RVD, Irish Whipped him off the ropes, and hit him with a clothesline. He then ran off the ropes and got RVD with a baseball slide, sending him out of the ring. Outside the ring, Blackman took a trash can and hit RVD in the back. He then picked up RVD and began punching him in the head. The assault went to the entranceway. Blackman went for a suplex, but RVD countered it into a suplex of his own.

"To my knowledge, this is the first time these two have ever faced each other," said Grisham.

As Blackman got to his feet, RVD slammed his head into the steel rail, then brought him back into the ring. RVD then went to the top rope of the lower left turnbuckle and as Blackman got to his feet, he got him with a springboard thrust kick. Then dragged him to the upper right turnbuckle and got him in a seated position. He then grabbed a chair and hit him with a Van Terminator.

The crowd chanted:

"ECW!"

"ECW!"

"ECW!"

"ECW!"

"ECW!"

"ECW!"

"ECW!"

"ECW!"

"ECW!"

"This match is very reminiscent of the days of ECW!" said Grisham.

RVD dragged Blackman in the center of the ring and placed the chair on him and got him with a standing moonsault, before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. RVD picked up Blackman and got him with a series of forearms, then ran off the ropes. Blackman bent down and RVD flipped over him and went for a roundhouse kick, but Blackman blocked it. However, RVD turned it into a roll up pin. He got a 2 count. As Blackman got to his feet, RVD went for a kick, but Blackman blocked it. However, RVD turned it into a leg-feed feint enziguri into a rolling mule kick. RVD struggled his way to the lower right turnbuckle, jumped to the top rope and went for the Five Star Frog Splash, but Blackman got to his feet and tripped RVD on the rope. He then climbed up and gave RVD a superplex before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Blackman went outside the ring and pulled out two kendo sticks.

Heading back in, Blackman did some martial arts stances as RVD got to his feet. "It's party time!" he shouted.

"You hear Blackman saying, 'it's party time!" said Grisham.

Blackman wailed away on RVD with the kendo sticks, then hit him with a fisherman suplex pin. He got a 2 count. Blackman picked up RVD and Irish Whipped him into the lower right turnbuckle. He went in for the charge, but RVD caught him with a kick to the face, followed by a roundhouse kick. RVD then went to the lower right turnbuckle and gave Blackman a split-legged moonsault before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. RVD went outside the ring and grabbed a ladder. Inside the ring, RVD place the ladder on top of Blackman, went to the top rope of the lower right turnbuckle, and hit the Five-Star Frog Splash.

"The Five Star Frog Splash on the ladder!" exclaimed Matthews.

"The Frog Splash is painful enough on its own, but combined with a ladder..." exclaimed Grisham.

Crawling over to Blackman, RVD covered him for the win.

"Here is your winner and the new WWE Hardcore Champion, Rob Van Dam!" Roberts announced.

"What a matchup!" said Grisham.

RVD went over to Blackman and picked him up before giving him a handshake.

"Great show of respect from Rob Van Dam. A great matchup between these two competitors," said Matthews.

RVD showed his newly won Hardcore title to the world, but as he turned around, Blackman hit him with a bicycle kick. The crowd booed Blackman.

"What the hell is that?!" said Grisham.

"Well obviously, not the way Blackman wanted his return to go down," said Matthews.

Just then, Blackman covered RVD and the referee counted to give Blackman the win.

"Here is your winner and the new WWE Hardcore Champion, Steve Blackman!" Roberts announced.

"Well you may not agree with it, but it is within the 24/7 rule. Blackman taking advantage of that," said Matthews.

"Well these two were having a very physical contest, Rob Van Dam was celebrating, but as he turned around, he was met with a bicycle kick and then, like you said, Josh, within the rules of 24/7, Blackman gets the pin and the win," said Grisham.

"Well a shocking way to kick us off here on Main Event, but what was even more shocking was when Ira Sutton went up against Vince McMahon," said Matthews.

"Yes, last Monday Night on RAW, Ira Sutton challenged The Undertaker to WrestleMania, but prior to that, he first challenged Vincent Kennedy McMahon for control of the WWE. Let's take a look at how this legal battle began," said Grisham.

* * *

_-Sutton vs. McMahon-_

_-The Beginning-_

Ira: Well I've been a WWE fan for a long, long time. I'd say for about...13 years. I remember the first time I fully watched a WWE show, it actually back when it was the WWF, it was Smackdown and I was immediately hooked from there on. There was hardly a day that went by that I missed a WWF show. I remember I would always get so ticked off whenever they showed something else on TV besides RAW or Smackdown. When WWE went to HD and replaced all the stages with that one single HD stage, I was like, 'what?!' and for a while, I watched the WWE and then I realized things were getting real tripe and boring. Hashed out storylines, uninteresting rivalries, boring matches the majority of the time, it was just too much for me. Then the final nail in the coffin for me was when they decided to focus their attention on kid-oriented entertainment and social media. The WWE became consumed by it. Every show it was like, 'follow us on Facebook and Twitter, send us a Tout, use our new App that no one gives a shit about! And not to mention the changes in the personalities of most of the superstars. For God sakes, they had Kane and Daniel Bryan having hugs and Kane acting like a child! I mean what the fuck?! And don't even get me started on Hornswoggle. Since when did Lucky the Leprechan get into the WWE?! So after all that, I finally decided that I'd had enough. WWE needed to change for the better, not for the worst. During the time, I had actually come up with a lot of ideas that could improve the company, so I said to myself, 'what if I were the Chairman of the WWE?' I know that seemed a bit farfetched, but maybe it could work. I figured it was worth a try, so I decided I was gonna go for it.


	14. Tale of a Battle

_-Sutton vs. McMahon-_

_-Loading the Ammunition-_

Ira: I didn't any background or experience when it came to legal issues. I needed some help, so I went over to Bernstein and Feldman in Annapolis. First of all, I should say that I don't really like lawyers, I don't really trust them, but Bernstein and Feldman seemed on the up and up, so I decided to trust them, but I made I sure to keep an open eye out on them, because you can't let your guard down on a lawyer, no matter who they are. So after I had called them, we sat down and went over exactly how we were going to approach this. They told me that we would need all the political power in the world, because you know, it was Vince McMahon after all. So what we did was we wrote down a bunch of believable statements that could back up the claim as to why I should be the new Chairman. After a couple of weeks, we seemed to have everything we needed, so with all the cards set, I gave a call to Vince McMahon and I pretty much said, "Vince, you'd better get a good lawyer, because I'm challenging your ass for the company."

* * *

Kofi Kingston's music played and he came out to cheers.

"Welcome back to Main Event! Todd Grisham along with Josh Matthews and we will have more on the legal battle of the century coming up!" said Grisham.

"The following contest is set for one-fall, approaching the ring, from Ghana, West Africa, weighing in at 212 pounds, Kofi Kingston!" Roberts announced.

"Well as the Wildcat, Kofi Kingston gets set for action, we will present more of the story of the battle between Vince McMahon and Ira Sutton at the conclusion of this match," said Matthews.

David Otunga's music played and he came out to boos.

"And his opponent, from Hollywood California, weighing in at 229 pounds, David Otunga!" Roberts announced.

"You know, it that last video, Ira said that he doesn't really like lawyers. I wonder how he feels about Mr. David Otunga?" Grisham asked Matthews.

"That's a good question," Matthews answered.

The bell rang and the match began.

The two began in a lockup. Otunga got Kofi in a headlock, then Kofi pushed Otunga off the ropes, but Otunga got him with a shoulder block, then ran off the ropes. Kofi ducked, Otunga jumped over, went off the ropes, and Kofi jumped over Otunga, then a second time, then hit Otunga with a dropkick followed by another, then got him in a headlock takedown. Otunga eventually got up and pushed Kofi to the lower right turnbuckle. He went in for the charge, but Kofi caught him with a kick to the face/ Kofi ran towards him, but he kicked him in the gut and got him with a double-underhook suplex before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Otunga picked up Kofi and got him with a few punches to the head and a hard club to the back, then Irish Whipped him off the ropes and got him with another shoulder tackle, then ran off the ropes and got him with an elbow drop before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Otunga stomped on Kofi a few times before picking him up and getting him with two scoop slams, then going to the second ropes of the lower left turnbuckle and going for an elbow drop. Kofi got out of the way and pushed Otunga back to the turnbuckle before going for a 10 punch. Kofi managed to get 6 punches in before Otunga pushed him away and went for a clothesline. Kofi ducked and got Otunga with a leg lariat, then ran off the ropes and got him with a clothesline. As Otunga got to his feet, Kofi went to the upper left turnbuckle, jumped to the top rope, and went for a springboard crossbody, but Otunga countered it into a powerslam pin. He got a 2 count.

"What an impressive counter by Otunga!" said Grisham.

"He just caught Kingston in mid-air!" said Matthews.

Otunga picked up Kofi and slammed his head against the upper right turnbuckle before getting him with a number of shoulder blocks. He then snapmared Kofi, ran off the ropes, and got him with another running shoulder block before going for the cover. He got a 2 count.

"Otunga had an impressive showing last Monday Night on RAW against Justin Gabriel," said Matthews.

Otunga rolled Kofi on his front and wailed on him with a number of hard elbows to the back.

"And Otunga showing an aggressive side here!" said Grisham.

Otunga picked up Kofi and got him with a gutbuster before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Otunga picked up Kofi again and got him with a sidewalk slam, then ran off the ropes and hit him with a knee drop before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Otunga then put Kofi in a headlock. Kofi eventually got up and gave Otunga few elbows to the gut, then ran off the ropes, but Otunga got him with a clothesline before going for the cover. He got a 2 count.

"The majority of the match has been full on offense by David Otunga," said Grisham.

Otunga Irish Whipped Kofi off the ropes and went for a clothesline, but Kofi countered it into a float-over DDT before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. As both men were down, the referee started the 10 count. At the count of 5, the two competitors got up. Otunga went for a punch, by Kofi blocked and got Otunga with a punch of his own, followed by another, then went for an Irish Whip, but Otunga reversed it into a flapjack. As Kofi got to his feet, Otunga Irish Whipped him to the upper right turnbuckle. He went in for the charge, but Kofi got him with pendulum kick. Kofi then went to the top rope and got Otunga with a crossbody pin. He got a 2 count. Otunga got up and went for another clothesline, but Kofi ducked it and went for the SOS, but Otunga got him with a number of elbows to the back of the head. Otunga then kicked Kofi in the gut and went for an Irish Whip off the ropes, but Kofi reversed it into an Irish Whip of his own and hit him with a number of two-handed chops, then ran off the ropes and got him with a leaping clothesline, followed by the Boom Drop. Kofi set up for the Trouble in Paradise. As Otunga got to his feet, Kofi went for his finisher, but Otunga caught him and hit him with a belly to belly suplex before going for the cover. He got a 2 count.

"Quite the one-on-one matchup here on Main Event!" said Grisham.

Otunga picked up Kofi and went for a scoop slam, but Kofi countered it and went for a Trouble in Paradise, but Otunga ducked it and got Kofi with a falling neckbreaker before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Otunga picked up Kofi and went for a back suplex, but Kofi countered it and hit Otunga with the SOS pin. He got a 2 count. Kofi picked up Otunga, but Otunga pushed him into the ropes. Kofi grabbed on and Otunga went for the charge, but Kofi got him with a kick and flipped onto the apron, then springboarded off the ropes and got him with a crossbody. However, Otunga quickly recovered and got Kofi with a scoop powerslam. As Kofi got to his feet, Otunga went for the Final Verdict, but Kofi countered it into a victory roll pin. He got a 2 count. As Otunga got up, Kofi hit him with the Trouble in Paradise from out of nowhere to get the pin and the win.

"Here is your winner, Kofi Kingston!" Roberts announced.

"Kofi can hit that Trouble is Paradise from anyplace at anytime," said Matthews.

"Otunga was game tonight, but Kofi just gamer," said Grisham.

"Big win for Kofi Kingston and as Kingston celebrates, we know give you the next look at Sutton vs. McMahon!" Matthews said.

* * *

_-Sutton vs. McMahon-_

_-Round 1-_

Ira: Now at first, Vince was hesitant. He wasn't exactly into the idea of some noob from Baltimore, Maryland, coming in out of nowhere and wanting to take his company. But I told him on the phone that I had gotten the finest lawyers from Baltimore and I also told him that it wouldn't exactly be in his best interest to back down because of what it would do to his reputation. So with all that in thought, he finally said, "OK, you're on!" Now Barack Obama, the president, was a big WWE fan and we figured if we could get him on our side, than we were almost a shoe-in to win this case, so what we did was we went called up the White House and asked for a meeting with Obama. When we got the green light, we went up to Washington D.C. and we talked to Obama. He of course was thrilled with the idea me taking on McMahon, so he gave us a loan of $250,000. So we had the money, we had the support of the president, we all ready to go at that point.

In a couple of days, we had our first case at the Michigan Supreme Court in Lansing. The first thing we had to do was appeal to the judge, so we presented him with evidence against Vince, one of which was of course his past steroid scandal. Not to mention previously, Vince had, had his other problems with the law such as his 2006 allegations of sexual harassment.


	15. Cruiserweight Action

_Sunday Night Heat_

_The heat is back on_

_Sunday, February 12th_

* * *

_-Sutton vs. McMahon-_

_-Round 2-_

* * *

Ira: For a case like this, we also did in other parts of the states. Our next case was in Atlanta Georgia. Me and Vince went back and forth over there for couple of weeks. Prior going into this, knowing Vince McMahon, I knew he probably had something up his sleeve, because you know, he had the political backing, he could afford it. So I made sure to keep an eye out for him, but I also talked to the president for advice. He suggested that I get some extra people to spy on Vince if he tried any funny stuff, so when we took the case over to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I gave some calls to some people at the White House and told them to keep extra eyes on Vince. I of course told Vince this, so with that hanging in his head, he realized that when it came to me, he would have to play fair or not play the game at all.

* * *

"Welcome back to Main Event! We will have more on the story of Sutton vs. McMahon, but Josh, I am really excited about the return of Sunday Night Heat!" said Grisham.

"You were a big part of that show and who knows what surprises will be in store for us on February 12th. The heat is indeed back on!" said Matthews. "And with that, it's now time for the second match of the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament!"

Evan Bourne's music played and he came to big cheers.

"Josh! Look who's back!" Grisham exclaimed.

"The following Cruiserweight Championship Tournament match is set for one-fall, approaching the ring, from St. Louis, Missouri, weighing in at 165 pounds, Evan Bourne!" Roberts announced.

"The sensational, high-flying, death-defying daredevil known as Evan Bourne has returned!" exclaimed Matthews.

"And what a return for this would be for Evan Bourne to win this match tonight and go one to the semi-finals of tournament!" said Grisham.

"Now Evan Bourne, along with the rest of us, await his opponent," said Matthews.

After a bit, some new music played and New Japan Pro Wrestling's Jushin "Thunder" Liger appeared to big cheers.

"And his opponent, from Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, weighing in at 209 pounds, Jushin "Thunder" Liger!" Roberts announced.

"Another athlete from New Japan Pro Wrestling, Jushin "Thunder" Liger! Often regarded as one of the most revolutionary junior heavyweights in professional wrestling history. This should be an awesome contest," said Grisham.

The bell rang and the match began.

The two began in a lockup. Liger got Evan in a headlock.

"Jushin "Thunder" Liger has won junior heavyweight gold in every organization he has competed in," said Grisham.

Evan pushed Liger off the ropes, but Liger got him with a shoulder block. Liger picked up Evan and went for a suplex, but Evan countered it and got him with a few side kicks to the legs, then ran off the ropes. Liger caught him with a leg drag takedown, then ran off the ropes and got him with a running dropkick. Liger then put Evan in the Indian deathlock followed by a surfboard.

"Indian deathlock by Liger!" said Grisham.

"How long has it been since we've seen that?!" said Matthews. "And now he converts it into a surfboard!"

Liger released the hold and slammed Evan's head against the lower right turnbuckle before hitting him with a series of chops. He then Irish Whipped Evan to the upper left turnbuckle and went in for the charge, but Evan got him with a kick to the face. Evan then hit him with a series of elbows to the face, then went for an Irish Whip off the ropes, but Liger reversed it into an Irish Whip of his own. Evan slid underneath Liger, but Liger caught him with an elbow to the face, then ran off the ropes. Evan jumped over him, Liger came off the ropes, Evan ducked under, Liger went off the ropes again and Evan caught him with a knee to the face before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Evan went for a standing moonsault, but Liger got out of the way, picked up Evan and got him with a scoop slam, then ran off the ropes and got him with a running senton bomb before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Liger then dragged Evan to the center of the ring and put him in the STS.

"And Jushin "Thunder" Liger with the STS, also know as the Stepover Toehold Sleeper," said Matthews.

"This is a very effective submission hold. I don't think Evan Bourne has quite encountered an opponent like Jushin "Thunder" Liger," said Matthews.

Evan slowly dragged himself across the ring before finally making it to the ropes, forcing Liger to break the hold. Liger picked up Evan and gave him an armbar before forcing him down to the mat.

"Liger, a very technically sound junior heavyweight," said Matthews.

Liger forced Evan down multiple times but pushing him down hard with his palms. However, Evan finally managed to make it to his feet and rolled over, transitioning into an armbar of his own. However, Liger rolled over himself and got Evan back in his armbar, but then Evan went to the lower left turnbuckle, climbed up, walked across the ropes, and got Liger with a hurricanrana. Liger rolled to the apron. As Liger got to his feet, Evan went over to Liger and went for a punch, but Liger blocked it and got Evan with a punch of his own, knocking him down. Liger slingshotted over the ropes and got Evan with a splash pin. He got a 2 count. Liger picked up Evan, Irish Whipped him off the ropes, and got him with a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker. He then went to the upper right turnbuckle, climbed the top rope, and hit Evan with a frog splash pin. He got a 2 count.

"How did Evan manage to kick out of that?!" said Grisham.

The crowd chanted:

"Eddie!"

"Eddie!"

"Eddie!"

"Eddie!"

"Eddie!"

"Eddie!"

"Eddie!"

"Eddie!"

Liger picked up Evan, Irish Whipped him off the ropes, and got him with a palm thrust before going for the pin. He got a 2 count. Liger picked up Evan again, Irish Whipped him off the ropes, and went for another palm thrust, but Evan slid underneath him, ran off the ropes, and got him with a double-knee takedown. Liger got to his feet and Evan got him with a spinning heel kick. Liger got to his feet again and Evan went for a roundhouse kick, but Liger ducked it and got Evan with a gutwrench suplex pin. He got a 2 count. Liger picked up Evan and Irish Whipped him to the lower left turnbuckle. He went in for the charge, but Evan got out of the way and got him with a corner dropkick. Evan went for an Irish Whip, but Liger reversed it into a belly to back suplex. With Evan down, Liger went to the lower left turnbuckle, climbed the top rope, and went for a moonsault, but Evan got out of the way and got him with an enziguri before going for the pin. He got a 2 count.

"What cruiserweight action here on Main Event!" said Grisham.

"And this is only the second match of the tournament!" said Matthews.

Evan picked up Liger, but Liger got him with a kick to the gut and went for a brainbuster. However, Evan kneed him in the head and got out before hitting him with a roundhouse kick. With Liger down, Evan went to lower left turnbuckle, climbed the top rope, and went for Air Bourne, his shooting star press, but Liger got out of the way. Liger picked up Evan, brought him to the center of the ring, and got him with the CTB-Crash Thunder Buster, his belly to back wheelbarrow facebuster before going for the pin to get the win.

"Here is your winner, Jushin "Thunder" Liger!" Roberts announced.

"What a great cruiserweight matchup and a great win for Jushin "Thunder" Liger!" said Grisham.

"And with this win, Liger will go on to the semi-finals to face Masato Yoshino," said Matthews.

"That will certainly be a match to see," said Grisham. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, let's take you even further into the struggle between Vince McMahon and Ira Sutton."

* * *

_-Sutton vs. McMahon-_

_-Round 3-_

Ira: Our next case was in Florida. McMahon presented a plethora of legal documents to WWE as well as his family's history. It was at that point where I was beginning to have my doubts. I had to remember that this was Vince McMahon I was dealing with; the guy always had a backup plan. He informed the judge of my inexperience of running a company and his multitude of experience. The closest thing to a comeback I had was of course the President, but I didn't have anything else in the way of legal backing as far experience went. When we had the next part of the case in Wyoming, Vince had a ton of good alibies to fall back on with the judge. It had been a couple of months since the case began and at this point, I was almost ready to call it quits.


	16. Battle of the Rising Stars

_-Sutton vs. McMahon-_

_-Conclusion-_

* * *

Ira: I had gotten a call from Obama that the next case would be held in Annapolis, Maryland. I of course had the home field advantage and I figured this was where I could make a comeback. A few days prior, I along with my lawyers, got a car and decorated it. The people in Annapolis were already talking about the big showdown between me and McMahon, so when we drove by, the people were going nuts. I had of people behind me that day, so I could feel the momentum picking back up. When it came time for the case, those same people accompanied me and my lawyers with all kinds of signs. At that moment, I was feeling my confidence growing back. So much so that I was able to make a truckload of convincing arguments against Vince.

The last case was held in Greenwich, Connecticut. This was where it was all gonna be decided. Vince had presented the last of his evidence and I had presented the last of my. The final arguments had been made and it was now time to make the decision. For a number of minutes, the jury discussed things, then finally, they talked to the judge and gave him their verdict. The judge called me and McMahon to the stand and said that the jury had considered all things and based on the evidence and arguments placed before they, their final decision was that McMahon was stripped of his duties and I was named the new Chairman of the WWE.

At that point, me and my lawyers all collectively breathed a sigh of relief. The legal struggle was long and hard, but I had managed to do something that no one had ever done before, I beat Vincent Kennedy McMahon in a court case, or should I say, court cases. It wasn't easy for McMahon, but after this, he walked up to me and basically said, "You beat me. the better man won." And he sealed it with a handshake. So now I was the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment and now that I am, I'm not gonna waster this. I'm gonna provide hard-edge, fast-paced, unheard of entertainment the likes of which the world has ever seen. So get ready WWE, here I come.

* * *

Brad Maddox's theme music played and he came out to boos.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's now time for the MAIN EVENT!" said Grisham.

"The following contest is set for one-fall! Approaching the ring, from Tega Cay, South Carolina, weighing in at 200 pounds, Brad Maddox!" Roberts announced.

"As the former RAW General Manager gets set for action, we will hope to get answers on Friday Night Smackdown as it relates to the shocking challenge made by Ira Sutton to The Undertaker for WrestleMania," Matthews said.

"I watched from home, I could not believe it! What will Ira have to say on Smackdown about his challenge?" said Grisham.

Justin Gabriel's music played and he came out to cheers.

"And his opponent, from Cape Town, South Africa, weighing in at 209 pounds, Justin Gabriel!" Roberts announced.

"The Cape Town Sensation is ready for action here on Main Event!" said Grisham.

The bell rang and the match began.

The two started in a lockup. Maddox got Gabriel in an armwrench, then Gabriel turned it into an armwrench of his own, then Maddox turned it back into an armwrench and put Gabriel in a headlock. Gabriel went for a back suplex, but Gabriel countered, grabbed Maddox from behind, bounced him off the ropes and got him in a roll up pin. He got a 2 count. Maddox got up and put Gabriel in a headlock. Gabriel pushed Maddox off the ropes, but then Maddox got him with a school boy pin. He got a 2 count. As Gabriel got to his feet, Maddox got him with a few punches to the head, then brought him to the upper left turnbuckle and got him with a few chops before Irish Whipping him to the lower right turnbuckle. Maddox went in for the charge, but Gabriel got him with a kick to the fact, then went to the second rope, and got him in a sunset flip pin. He got a 2 count. After getting out of the pin, Maddox grabbed Gabriel's legs and got him in a monkey flip. Maddox then went from behind and got him with a back suplex before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Maddox picked up Gabriel and went for an Irish Whip off the ropes, but Gabriel reversed it into an Irish Whip of his own and bent down, but Maddox got him with a kick to the face before running off the ropes. Gabriel caught him with a sweep kick, then picked him up and got him with suplex before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Gabriel then put Maddox in a leg lock.

"Let's go back to last Monday Night on RAW. I could not believe that Chariman, Ira Sutton stood in the middle of the ring and called out of all people, The Undertaker!" said Grisham.

"Well Ira explained that he made an adjustment in his contract saying that not only was he Chairman, but also a wrestler. I cannot wait to hear his reasoning for this challenge on Smackdown this Friday Night," said Matthews.

Maddox got out of the hold by punching Gabriel in the head a few times, then slammed his head into the upper right turnbuckle before stomping away at him until he was seated on the turnbuckle. Maddox then backed up and got him with a hesitation dropkick.

"Nice hesitation dropkick from Brad Maddox!" said Grisham.

Maddox dragged Gabriel to the center of the ring and went for the cover. He got a 2 count. With Gabriel seated, Maddox put him in a headlock. Gabriel eventually got up and countered his headlock with a stunner, sending him into the upper right turnbuckle. Gabriel hit Maddox with a number of kicks to the gut, then Irish Whipped him to the lower left turnbuckle before going for the charge. Maddox got him with a kick to the face, then ran off the ropes and got him with a running bulldog before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. With Gabriel seated, Maddox put him in a bow and arrow armlock. Gabriel eventually got to his feet and countered it into a gutwrench suplex pin. He got a 2 count. Gabriel picked up Maddox and went for a suplex, but Maddox countered it and got him with a Russian legsweep before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Maddox went to the lower right turnbuckle, climbed the top rope, waited for Gabriel to get to his feet, and got him with a missile dropkick before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. With Gabriel seated, Maddox put him in a headlock.

"Maddox of course was the former general manager of RAW until he was relieved of his duties by Chairman, Ira Sutton and made a member of the active roster," said Grisham.

"And last Monday night on RAW, Brad Maddox made a hell of an impression with a victory, albeit somewhat controversial, over Kofi Kingston," said Matthews.

Gabriel managed to get to his feet and gave Maddox a number of elbows to the gut, getting out of the headlock, followed by a series of kicks to the side. Maddox went for a clothesline, but Gabriel ducked it and got him with a spinout powerbomb. Gabriel then dragged him to the center of the ring, springboarded off the ropes and hit him with a moonsault before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Gabriel picked up Maddox and Irish Whipped him to the lower left turnbuckle. He went for the charge, but Maddox caught him with a kick to the face. He went for a clothesline, but Gabriel ducked it and got him with the STO. Gabriel went outside to the apron, waited for Maddox to get to his feet, springboarded off the ropes, and got him with a crossbody before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Gabriel picked up Maddox, but Maddox got him with a throat thrust then went for a back suplex, but Gabriel countered it and got him with a dropkick. Gabriel dragged Maddox to the center of the ring and then went to the lower right turnbuckle and climbed the top.

"Gabriel to the top! Looking for perhaps the 450 splash!" said Grisham.

The referee was preoccupied with Gabriel. Taking advantage, Maddox kicked the referee from behind into the ropes, causing Gabriel to lose his balance.

"Oh! But Maddox taking advantage of the referee who was distracted! Knocking him into the ropes!" said Grisham.

Maddox climbed the top rope and went for a superplex.

"And now Maddox goin' for what looks like a superplex," said Matthews.

However, Gabriel fought out of it and knocked Maddox to the floor. With Maddox down, Gabriel hit him with the 450 splash before going for the cover and the win.

"Here is your winner, Justin Gabriel!" Roberts announced.

"And Justin Gabriel continues his roll here on Main Event!" said Grisham.

"Maddox tried to get the unfair advantage, but it wasn't enough to get the drop on Gabriel here tonight," said Matthews.

"And with that, we close out this episode of Main Event. For Josh Matthews, I am Todd Grisham, glad to be back, and we will see you again for another edition of WWE Main Event!" said Grisham.


	17. More Cruiserweight Action

**WWE Superstars 1/4/13**

**Rose Garden**

**Portland, Oregon**

* * *

**Intro plays**

**Opening Pyro**

* * *

Over 19,000 people were jam packed in the arena for another installment of Superstars. Calling the action was Scott Stanford who sat alone at the announce table.

"From the home of the Trailblazers, another night of exciting WWE action is being presented to you on WWE Superstars. I'm Scott Stanford and what a number of matches we have for you! We will start off with the third match in the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament, and our main event will feature R-Truth going one on one with Shield member, Seth Rollins!" Stanford said. "Now you may have noticed that I seem to be by myself here at the announcers booth. I've been told that new Chairman, Ira Sutton, will come out and announced my new broadcast partner."

Just then, Ira Sutton's music hit and he came out to cheers.

"And here he comes," Stanford said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, Ira Sutton!" Tony Chimel announced..

"Well this young man has certainly made an impression since defeating Vince McMahon in a court case and becoming the new Chairman of the WWE. I can only wonder what this magician has up his sleeve here tonight," said Stanford.

Ira grabbed a microphone and addressed the crowd.

"Welcome to WWE Superstars!" Ira proclaimed.

The audience cheered loudly.

"Tonight, you people are gonna be in for a spectacular program. As soon as I'm done yacking my mouth off, you will see the next match in the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament! And speaking off championships, last Monday Night, I of course reintroduced the Cruiserweight Title. Then on Main Event, I brought back the Hardcore Title, well a little later on tonight, I will once again unveil another championship belt. But in the meantime, let me take this opportunity to introduce to all of you the newest member of the Superstars announce team. He is a former Ring of Honor World Champion and was one of the most technically sound English wrestlers in the history of this business. Unfortunately, due to a contraction of hepatitis in his blood, his career was cut short. But now, I've given him a new lease on life here in the WWE. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to welcome to the announce table, Nigel McGuinness!" Ira Sutton said.

Nigel Mcguinness came out to loud cheers. As he made his way to the ring, the crowd chanted:

"Desmond Wolfe!"

"Desmond Wolfe!"

"Desmond Wolfe!"

"Desmond Wolfe!"

"Desmond Wolfe!"

"Desmond Wolfe!"

"Desmond Wolfe!"

"Desmond Wolfe!"

In the ring, Nigel and Ira shook hands before Nigel went outside the ring to the announce table. Nigel then shook hands with Stanford before putting on his headset.

"Well I must say this is quite an honor, Mr. McGuinness," said Stanford.

"Yes, it is quite an honor for you, but no, seriously, I am thrilled to be here and I certainly look forward to calling the great action here on Superstars," said Nigel.

"And now that that's all said and done, let's get this night started!" Ira shouted.

Justin Gabriel's music hit and he came out to cheers.

"The following is a Cruiserweight Championship Tournament match set for one-fall! Making his way to the ring, from Cape Town, South Africa, weighing in at 213 pounds, Justin Gabriel!" Chimel announced.

"Well as Nigel McGuinness joins us here tonight, a great opportunity for the Cape Town Sensation, Justin Gabriel," said Stanford.

"This is the third match of the Cruiserweight Tournament and I cannot wait to see whom Justin Gabriel's opponent will be," said Nigel.

New Japan Pro Wrestling's Prince Devitt's music hit and he came out to boos. He was wearing a black leather jack with the letters, 'RNR' on the back.

"And his opponent, from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, weighing in at 179 pounds, Prince Devitt!" Chimel announced.

"Now I've done my research on this guy and from I've seen, this Devitt character is a rather mighty force to be reckoned with. He is a 3 time and current New Japan Pro Wrestling Junior Heavyweight Champion and has also held the Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship and has won the company's Best of the Super Juniors Tournament in 2010 and 2013 and is part of a group known as The Bullet Club," said Nigel. "This is his US television debut."

"Well the rising star from Ireland will be looking for yet another title as Devitt looks to advance in this first round of the tournament," said Stanford.

After Devitt came into the ring, the lights went off and the letters on his jacket lit up in different colors.

"Wow!" said Nigel.

"Quite the showman, this Devitt is," said Stanford.

The bell rang and the match began.

Devitt gave Gabriel a kick to the side of his leg, then ran off the ropes. Gabriel ducked, Devitt ran off the ropes, and Gabriel leaped over him. Devitt ran off the ropes again and hit Gabriel with an elbow to the face, then ran off the ropes again. Gabriel bent down and Devitt jumped over and got him in a sunset flip pin. Gabriel countered out into a jackknife pin. Devitt powered out and put Gabriel in a backslide pin. Gabriel kicked out and Devitt put him in a headlock. Gabriel then pushed him off the ropes and got him with a shoulder tackle, then ran off the ropes, Devitt ducked underneath, Gabriel went off the ropes again and Devitt got him with a dropkick.

"Nice move by Prince Devitt!" said Stanford.

"The elevation he got from that dropkick was tremendous!" said Nigel.

Devitt picked up Gabriel, brought him to the lower right turnbuckle, and hit him with a number of kicks to the chest followed by a snapmare and a headlock.

"Devitt is in control right now in this third round Cruiserweight Tournament matchup and boy, have a lot of things happened over the past few days. We have a new Chairman in Ira Sutton and after becoming Chairman, Ira has made some major announcements. First, he made the announcement that on the night after the Royal Rumble, there would be a series of four man tournaments to compete in two fatal four way matches at WrestleMania 30. He of course brought back the Cruiserweight Title, he brought back the Hardcore last night on Main Event, but for the icing on the cake, Ira has challenged the Undertaker for a one-on-one matchup at WrestleMania! Can you believe that?!" said Stanford.

"I tell ya, that Ira's got some guts to be challenging the Undertaker," said Nigel.

Gabriel hit Devitt with a series of elbows to the gut, followed by a series of kicks to the legs, then Irish Whipped him off the ropes, but Devitt slid under and got him with a scoop slam. As Gabriel got to his knees, Deviit back up and got him with a running dropkick before going for the pin. He got a 2 count. Devitt picked up Gabriel and Irish Whipped him to the upper left turnbuckle and hit him with a series of kicks to the chest followed by another snapmare, then another headlock. Gabriel got up and got Devitt with a series of elbows to the chest, then bounced him off the ropes, but Devitt got him with a shoulder tackle, then ran off the ropes, Gabriel ducked underneath, Devitt ran off the ropes, and Gabriel got him with a roundhouse kick before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Gabriel picked up Devitt and went for a suplex, but Devitt countered it and got him in a roll up pin. Gabriel powered out of the pin, causing Devitt to fall out of the ring. As Devitt got to his feet, Gabriel walked out to the ring apron, jumped off, and gave Devitt a crossbody.

"This match is now going outside as both competitors jock for the upper hand to advance in the tournament," said Stanford.

"You can only imagine what these two will be willing to sacrifice to come one step closer to becoming the Cruiserweight Champion," said Nigel.

Gabriel picked up Devitt and brought him back into the ring. After getting himself back in, Gabriel got Devitt with a series of kick to the legs, then Irish Whipped him off the ropes and got him with a dropkick before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Gabriel picked up Devitt and hit him with a series of kicks to the legs, followed by a back kick to the gut. He then went for a neckbreaker, but Devitt countered it into a backslide pin. He got a 2 count. As Gabriel got to his feet, Devitt hit him with a series of elbows to the head, then ran off the ropes and got hit him with a running dropkick which forced him out of the ring. As Gabriel got to his feet again, Devitt ran off the ropes, dived over the ropes to Gabriel, and hit him with a suicide somersault plancha. Devitt picked up Gabriel and banged his head on the steel steps, before putting him back in the ring. Going back into the ring, Devitt picked up Gabriel and gave him an airplane spin. With Gabriel dizzy, Devitt hit him with a jumping corkscrew roundhouse kick.

"Impressive kick by Devitt! He calls that the Dreamcast!" said Nigel.

Devitt went to the upper left turnbuckle, climbed the top rope, and hit Gabriel with a diving double foot stomp before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Devitt picked up Gabriel and went for another airplane spin, but Gabriel countered out of it and hit him with a roundhouse kick. With Devitt down, Gabriel went towards him, but then Devitt got him with an overhead kick. He then went for a brainbuster, but Gabriel countered it into a neckbreaker. Both competitors were down and slowly made their way to their feet. Deviit went for a punch to the head, but Gabriel blocked it and hit Devitt with a punch of his own. Devitt went for another punch, but Gabriel blocked it again and got him with another punch to the head, then another, and another. Devitt retaliated with a kick to the side of the leg, then ran off the ropes, but Gabriel caught him with a back kick to the gut, followed by a front kick to the face. Gabriel then got Devitt with a series of clotheslines, then ran off the ropes and got him with an STO. With Devitt down, Gabriel dragged him to the center of the ring, then springboarded off the ropes and hit him with a moonsault before going for the cover. He got a 2 count. Gabriel picked up Devitt and brought him to the upper right turnbuckle. He got him with a couple of elbows to the head, but then Devitt blocked one of them, put him in the turnbuckle, and got him with a side kick to the gut, before sitting him on the top turnbuckle.

"Back and forth action in this contest," said Stanford.

Devitt then climbed up and went for a superplex, but Gabriel hit him a few punches to the gut and knocked him off. However, Devitt recovered and ran up the turnbuckle and hit Gabriel with an enziguri. With Gabriel groggy, Devitt grabbed him and got him with a brainbuster before going for the pin.

"What a brainbuster by Prince Devitt!" said Nigel.

He got a long 2 count.

"And somehow, Gabriel manages to kick out, Nigel! How did he do it?!" said Stanford.

"I couldn't tell ya! that just proves what being the Cruiserweight Champion means to these two men!" said Nigel.

Devitt picked up Gabriel and Irish Whipped him to the upper left turnbuckle before charging in and getting him with a running roundhouse kick. He then brought him out of the turnbuckle and got him with a scoop slam, followed the Devitt's End, his high-angle fujiwara armbar.

"And Devitt torques on the arm of Justin Gabriel! Applying massive pressure!" said Stanford.

Eventually, Gabriel got to the ropes, causing Devitt to break the hold. Devitt stomped away at Gabriel, then picked him up, placed him on the ropes, and got him with a series of chops to the chests, then went for an Irish Whip, but Gabriel reversed it and got Devitt with a sweep kick. Devitt got up and Gabriel hit him with a discus elbow smash. With Devitt down, Gabriel dragged him towards the center of the ring, went to the lower left turnbuckle, climbed the top rope, and hit him with the 450 splash before going for the pin and getting the win.

"Here is your winner, Justin Gabriel!" Chimel announced.

"What a fantastic contest! And with his victory, the South African Sensation advances!" said Stanford.

"I have to say, an excellent back and forth contest from start to finish. Both men putting it on the line for shot at being Cruiserweight Champion and in the end, it was Justin Gabriel who came out on top," said Nigel.

* * *

Backstage, Big E Langston was walking down the hall, heading towards the ring.

"Well the fourth round of the tournament will take place tomorrow night on Friday Night Smackdown, but up next, truly a match of the powerhouse bruisers, Big E Langston will take on the Human Wrecking Ball, Ryback, here on WWE Superstars!" said Stanford.


End file.
